1350

Potosi, Bolivia, pillar 8 reales, Charles III, 1768JR, "VRTA" error, 4-petalled floret, unique.

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / World Silver Coins - Argentina-Colombia Start Price:2,500.00 USD Estimated At:2,500.00 - 3,750.00 USD
Potosi, Bolivia, pillar 8 reales, Charles III, 1768JR,  VRTA  error, 4-petalled floret, unique.
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This item SOLD at 2011 Apr 28 @ 10:48UTC-4 : AST/EDT
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Potosi, Bolivia, pillar 8 reales, Charles III, 1768JR, "VRTA" error, 4-petalled floret, unique. KM-unl. (cf. 50); CT-unl. (cf. 968). 26.9 grams. According to Gilboy, who referenced Cunietti: "The rarity of this piece results from the mint director's (Pedro de Tagle) reporting of the mis-spelling to the Viceroy, 6 May 1769, whereupon Viceroy Manuel Amat immediately ordered the collection and destruction of all available pieces bearing the error." Gilboy also rated the error R3 (11-25 known), but the last specimen to sell at auction (Ponterio, January 2009, a scratched VF+, for $6,250 plus buyer's fee) was described as "only the third example that we know to exist." We feel the true population is somewhere in between, probably less than 10 known, but note: Ours appears to be the ONLY one known with proper 4-petalled floret at bottom of shield side (all others show a distinctive 6-petalled rosette), hence a different variety from Gilboy #P-8-2d. In any case, for whatever reason, most of the known specimens of this egregious error were holed and plugged at the top, as is the present coin (barely detectable), which is otherwise quite decent, nicely toned AVF.