8 Reales - Isabella II Countermark on Mexico 8 Reales

The Philippine countermark series on Mexican 8 reales emerged from a chronic shortage of locally struck coinage — the Manila mint had closed in 1829, leaving the archipelago dependent on foreign silver. Spanish colonial authorities solved the problem cheaply: acquire circulating Mexican pillar and portrait dollars, punch them with the castle-and-lion countermark under royal cipher, and re-issue them as domestically authorized currency at a small premium.

Forgeries of the countermark appeared almost immediately and were sophisticated enough to fool contemporary officials.