Description
Spanish Empire, Mexico, King Charles IV (1788-1808), Silver 8 Reales (26.99g, 39mm), 1797 FM, Mexico City mint. Obverse: Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of King Charles IV facing to the right, date below, legend surrounds, “·CAROLUS· IIII· DEI· GRATIA·”. Reverse: Royal Coat of Arms of Spain, Pillars of Hercules type (1700-1868), legend surrounds with mintmark, denomination and assayer toward the end, “·HISPAN· ET IND· REX·”. KM-109. A charming proclamation 8 reales awash with deep original cabinet tone supplemented with idyllic underlying brilliance, far more attractive in hand, particularly the reverse which is noteworthily bold, small areas of flat strike otherwise good Very Fine, reverse near Extremely Fine or basically so.
The Obverse Latin legend reads “Carolus Quartus, Deī Grātiā”, with an English translation of “Charles the fourth, by the Grace of God”. The Reverse Latin legend reads “Hispāniae et Indiae rēx”, with an English translation of “King of Spain and the Indies”.
The Spanish Eight Reales was one of the denominations chosen during the Australian Proclamation of 1800 by Philip Gidley King, the Governor of New South Wales. It was given a high face value of five shillings, the same as a British silver crown, in order to disincentivize the removal of currency from within the Australian colonies. This coin, although a type struck as currency for use throughout the Spanish Empire, is still considered a piece of Australia’s early colonial history as a proclamation coin.