In 1839, Guatemala countermarked existing 8 reales coinage as the newly independent Central American states scrambled to assert financial authority following the collapse of the Federal Republic of Central America. The Type II countermark — a distinct sunburst or quetzal device applied by local authorities — differentiated officially sanctioned pieces from the flood of foreign and suspect silver circulating in the region.
Host coins vary considerably in origin and condition, meaning no two pieces in this series are truly identical. The countermark itself is the issuing authority's statement; the host coin is almost incidental.
In 1839, Guatemala countermarked existing 8 reales coinage as the newly independent Central American states scrambled to assert financial authority following the collapse of the Federal Republic of Central America. The Type II countermark — a distinct sunburst or quetzal device applied by local authorities — differentiated officially sanctioned pieces from the flood of foreign and suspect silver circulating in the region.
Host coins vary considerably in origin and condition, meaning no two pieces in this series are truly identical. The countermark itself is the issuing authority's statement; the host coin is almost incidental.