8 Reales - Carlos III

Carlos III's accession in 1759 brought immediate pressure to reform colonial coinage. The Mexico City Mint had been producing cob-style macuquinas for over two centuries, and the crown had already mandated the shift to milled coinage — but enforcement was uneven, and Mexico City continued striking both types into the early 1760s. The overlap is well-documented in assayer records.

The assayer initial on pieces from this window is critical to dating. José Antonio de Bustamante held the post through much of this period, with Francisco Antonio de Sanabria preceding him — their initials, MF and MM respectively, distinguish issues that otherwise appear nearly identical.