8 Reales - Felipe II

The Lima mint was formally re-established under royal license in 1565, but its early macuqueño output from the Felipe II period remained notoriously inconsistent in weight and fineness — a problem serious enough that a royal inspection in 1572 uncovered systematic fraud by mint officials, resulting in prosecutions and a temporary suspension of operations. The coins struck in the years immediately following that scandal were produced under closer Crown oversight, which is reflected in modestly improved assayer accountability during this window.

Assayer marks on Lima cobs of this reign are the primary dating tool. The transition between assayers Rincon and Diego de la Torre defines much of the attributable chronology within this 1577–1589 bracket.