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8 Escudos - Carlos IV
| Issuer | Casa de Moneda de Guatemala |
|---|---|
| Year | 1794-1801 |
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| Currency | Real (1733-1859) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The quartered arms of Spain surmounted by a royal crown occupy the central field, displaying the castles of Castile and lions of León in the principal quarters, with the fleurs-de-lis of Bourbon and the chains of Navarre, and an inescutcheon at centre bearing the Bourbon arms. The shield is encircled by a wreath of laurel and floral branches tied at the base with a pendant ornament. The denomination numeral 8 appears to the left of the shield and the assayer's initial S to the right. The mint marks NG (Nueva Guatemala) and M (assayer) are placed in the lower field flanking the wreath knot. The circular legend IN • UTROQ • FELIX • AUSPICE • DEO surrounds the design, with a toothed border at the rim. |
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| Additional information |
Carlos IV inherited the Spanish throne in 1788 as the French Revolution was beginning to destabilize the Atlantic world, and the gold coinage struck at Guatemala's mint during his reign reflects the colonial administration's effort to maintain fiscal credibility under mounting pressure. The Casa de Moneda de Guatemala, operating since 1733, was the sole mint serving the Captaincy General of Guatemala — a jurisdiction stretching from Chiapas to Costa Rica — making these pieces the primary high-value specie across an enormous geographic range.
The assayer's initial on each piece identifies the individual officially responsible for metal purity, and specimens from this run carry the marks of assayers working through a period of significant political anxiety in New Spain.