Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
8 Reales - Fernando VII MVA - Royalist Countermarked Coinage
| Issuer | Mexico |
|---|---|
| Year | 1809-1821 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 8 Reales |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | The obverse displays the crowned Royal Arms of Spain as struck on the host coin, featuring the quartered shield with castles and lions, flanked by the Pillars of Hercules with scrolling banners, all within a dotted border. Superimposed upon the host coin design are two rectangular countermark punches applied by Royalist authorities at Monclova: one bearing the monogram 'MVA' and the other bearing the date of countermarking. The surrounding legend of the host coin, reading 'HISPAN ET IND REX' with the denomination and assayer initials, remains partially visible in the field. The overall appearance reflects the characteristic wear and double-imagery associated with emergency countermarked coinage issued during the Mexican War of Independence. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Latin |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
During the Wars of Independence (1810–1821), royalist authorities in New Spain countermarked circulating 8 reales to authenticate coins still loyal to the Crown and distinguish them from rebel-issued or suspect coinage. The "MVA" mark — applied by the royalist mint administration — was a pragmatic response to a monetary system under siege, with insurgent forces under Hidalgo and later Morelos disrupting normal minting operations and seizing bullion supplies.
The host coins vary considerably in date and assayer combination, which makes attribution complex. Some countermarks were applied to coins struck years before the independence conflict began.