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8 Reales - Ferdinand VII Countermark on Brazil 960 Reis
| Issuer | Philippines |
|---|---|
| Year | 1832-1834 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Milled, Countermarked |
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| Obverse description | Applied Philippine countermark at center consisting of a crowned royal cipher 'F. 7. o' (for Ferdinand VII) struck over the host coin's Portuguese coat of arms, which appears on an armillary sphere above a cross. The countermark, punched onto the obverse of the Brazilian host coin, authenticates and revalues the piece for circulation in the Philippines. The surrounding field retains the original design elements of the host coin beneath the applied punch. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | JOANNES • VI • D • G • PORT • BRAS • ET ALG REX • 960 1820 R (Translation: John VI, by the Grace of God, King of Portugal, Brazil and Algarve.) |
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| Additional information |
The Philippine countermark program of the early 1830s was a direct response to a chronic shortage of locally minted specie. Rather than establish or expand domestic coining capacity, the colonial administration in Manila chose the cheaper expedient of authenticating foreign silver already in circulation. Brazilian 960 Reis pieces — themselves struck on planchets made from countermarked Spanish colonial cobs and milled coins — were among the host coins most frequently used, giving this issue a layered monetary history unusual even by colonial standards.
The Ferdinand VII bust punch was applied under Captain-General Pascual Enrile. Authentication was often inconsistent, and poorly applied countermarks on this type are common enough to warrant scrutiny of any example offered as cleanly struck.