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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 2 reales, 1737 Y/M, unique discovery coin.

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Cobs - Potosi Silver Start Price:400.00 USD Estimated At:500.00 - 1,000.00 USD
Potosi, Bolivia, cob 2 reales, 1737 Y/M, unique discovery coin.
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This item SOLD at 2023 Nov 02 @ 23:49UTC-4 : AST/EDT
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 2 reales, 1737 Y/M, unique discovery coin. S-unl; KM-unl (29a for type); Cal-unl. 6.13 grams. A gorgeous cob with choice full pillar-and-waves and cross-lions-castles, XF+ with deep-contrast toning, all three dates and assayers and mintmarks clear; but the best aspect is the fact that upper-right assayer shows the bottom half of what is clearly Y/M, believed to be the first physical evidence of a brief return of assayer Y (Diego de Ybarbouru, 1701-28) per a mint document recently discovered by the esteemed archival researcher Jorge Proctor. One small problem: The document is dated July 17, 1732! Jorge's theory for the date on this coin is that the actual 2-punch broke and had to be replaced with a 7 with bottom base added to make it a 2, supported by the fact that there is a raised area below the 7 above the waves. However, the tail of the 7 in the legend does not show this at all, and it would seem that hand-engraving a 2 would be more sensible. We see two other possibilities: Either assayer Y (whose mark was unique and not used for anything else) came out of retirement a second time and we just do not have the document to prove it yet, or what we are seeing is some other letter, considering that the top is off the flan. In any case it is a unique and fascinating discovery coin that researchers will have to account for going forward.