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8 Reales - Fernando VII Countermarked Coinage
| Issuer | Chiloé Island |
|---|---|
| Year | 1822-1825 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Draped bust of Ferdinand VII facing right, occupying the central field of the coin. Flanking the effigy are two rectangular countermark punches applied by the authorities of Chiloé Island: 'Chi' to the left and 'Loe' to the right of the bust. The circular legend reads DEI·GRATIA·1822·FERDIN·VII· in Latin characters around the periphery, with the date appearing in the lower portion of the legend. The host coin is a standard Spanish colonial milled silver 8 Reales, and the surface shows the characteristic wear and patina associated with countermarked coinage in circulation. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | ·HISPAN·ET IND·REX·P·8R·P·I· |
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| Additional information |
Chiloé was the last royalist holdout on the Pacific coast of South America, its Spanish garrison clinging on years after the mainland had fallen. Cut off from regular coin supply, the island's authorities countermarked existing 8 Reales — Fernando VII pieces already in circulation — to assert local monetary control and prevent specie from leaving the island economy. The countermark itself was applied by hand, making each piece technically unique in placement and depth of strike.
Royalist forces on Chiloé finally surrendered in January 1826, the last Spanish military capitulation in South America.