8 Escudos - Fernando VI

Fernando VI ascended the Spanish throne in 1746 following the death of Felipe V, and the Mexican mint wasted little time updating its coinage to reflect the new reign. The 8 escudos of this period were produced under the "macuquina" transitional moment — the old cob-style coinage had officially been phased out in favor of milled production following the reforms mandated in the 1730s, and these Fernando VI issues represent the mint working within that newer discipline.

Mexico City was by this period the most productive gold mint in the Spanish colonial system. The assayer's marks on individual specimens from this short four-year reign window are the primary means of attributing them precisely within the type.