857

Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales Heart, 1736 E, unique, NGC AU details / rev damage, finest and only ex

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Cobs - Potosi Silver Start Price:12,500.00 USD Estimated At:25,000.00 - 50,000.00 USD
Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales Heart, 1736 E, unique, NGC AU details / rev damage, finest and only ex
SOLD
Sign In To View Winning Bid
This item SOLD at 2023 Nov 02 @ 22:54UTC-4 : AST/EDT
By registering for our auction, you agree to the terms and conditions.
Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales Heart, 1736 E, unique, NGC AU details / rev damage, finest and only example in NGC census. S-P46; KM-unl; Cal-unl. 25.41 grams. As a type, the rarest and most highly sought pieces in Potosi cobs, even beyond the rare and special Royals, are the Hearts, intentionally shaped at the mint and struck with Royal dies, presumably to be worn or otherwise displayed in a religious setting, as the flaming Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ was (and is) an important symbol in the Catholic Church. With few exceptions, they were unique to the Potosi mint and struck in all denominations except the 1/4R, beginning in the late 1680s and issued sporadically until the 1750s. The most desirable Hearts are the 8 reales, of which only 42 examples exist across 17 dates. Once in a blue moon a new date shows up, which is the case here. While its shape and axis are a somewhat atypical (the rules being a bit flexible toward the end, this being the second-to-last date before a single-known 1737), the strike is quite bold and well centered, and the surfaces are smooth and even (the toning is lovely too). There does appear to be a contemporaneous clip on one of the "shoulders," and of course the stem at top has a customary hole, but these are minor distractions from what is a unique example within a beautiful type. (See lot 907 for a matching-date 4R Heart, also a new discovery.)
Please use this link to verify the certification number