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8 Reales - Charles III
| Issuer | Casa de Moneda de Potosí |
|---|---|
| Year | 1767-1770 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Central device features two large overlapping hemispheric globes, representing the Old and New Worlds, surmounted by a large royal crown. The globes rest upon stylized ocean waves rendered in low relief. Flanking the globes are two crowned Pillars of Hercules, each entwined with a scroll banner inscribed PLUS and VLTRA respectively, symbolizing the Spanish imperial motto. The mint mark 'PTS' (Potosí) appears at lower left, the assayer initials at lower right, and the date below the waves. The circular legend VTRA QUE UNUM runs around the upper periphery, separated by rosette stops. |
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| Additional information |
These years at Potosí fall squarely within the aftermath of the 1765 mint scandal, in which assayer Domingo de Santiesteban was found to have systematically debased the silver coinage for years — reducing fineness well below the legal standard while pocketing the difference. The resulting royal investigation and assayer purge forced a complete reorganization of the Casa de Moneda's quality controls, and coins struck in this narrow window carry the transition assayers' marks that document the cleanup effort in real time.
Potosí's milled coinage of this period was produced on screw presses introduced under Bourbon reform pressure, replacing the old macuquina tradition the mint had relied on for over two centuries.