HISTORIC OLD COINS

COIN OF FERDINAND & ISABELLA OF SPAIN

Ferdinand, king of Aragon, married Isabella, Queen of Castile, thus uniting Spain into one nation.  The monarchs known as Reyes Católicos (The Catholic Monarchs) jointly ruled the country until the death of Isabella in 1504.  They greatly expanded Spanish influence through the reconquest of Granada from the Moors, the exploration of the New World and the Spanish Inquisition.  This Blanca of Ferdinand and Isabella dates from between 1479 until 1504.  It is made from heavily alloyed silver.  One side has a crowned “F” for Ferdinand, the other has a crowned “Y” for Isabella.  The coin grades Good and is crude and crusty, however it is one of the least expensive coins available from these historic monarchs.
Item L-ES-F&I  BLANCA OF FERDIAND & ISABELLA OF SPAIN, 1479-1504    out, trying to get more.

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PIRATE TREASURE PIECE-OF-EIGHT

The Spanish treasure ship Santa Maria de la Consolocion left Callao, Chile in 1681, bound for Panama, where her precious cargo that was to be transported across the isthmus and then shipped onto Spain.  Because of a delay in getting its silver coins from the mint in Potosi, Bolivia, she was forced to sail alone, after the rest of the South Sea Armada had departed.   The lone galleon was soon attacked by a fleet of six British pirate ships.   The captain attempted to defend his precious cargo by landing his ship on a small island named Isla de Muerto (Island of the Dead) in the Bay of Guayaquil, Ecuador.  The vessel accidentally hit a reef and began to sink.  To prevent the treasure from falling into the hands of the pirates, the captain set the ship afire.  The pirates, furious that the ship had been burned, captured and beheaded the estimated 350 passengers and crew of the ship.  Neither the pirates, nor the returning Spaniards were able to recover the treasure from the shark infested waters.  We are pleased to offer you a genuine Spanish silver Eight Real cob, also known as a Piece of Eight, salvaged from the treasure ship Consolacion.   As with all cobs, the coin is very crudely struck, and sitting under the ocean for over 300 years did not improve their quality.   The major elements of the design are visible.  The coin is dated between about 1660 and 1680, though the date is rather obscure and are from the Potosi mint.   The coin comes with an attractive Certificate of Authenticity that includes a photograph of the coin.  It is an interesting and historic treasure coin.
Item BK-COB8    SPANISH PIECE OF EIGHT FROM THE TREASURE SHIP CONSOLACION, VG-CRUDE   $150.00

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AMERICA'S FIRST SILVER DOLLAR - THE PIECE-OF-EIGHT

Few coins can match the history and romance of the Piece-of-Eight.  Commonly known as the Spanish 8 Reales, or Spanish Milled Dollar, this large silver coin was widely used throughout the Americas.  Its wide acceptance made it a favorite of both pirates and merchants.  It was used throughout the colonies before the American Revolution, and was the basis of the United States Dollar.  The coin continued to be legal tender in the United States until 1857. These original Pieces-of-Eight went down in a shipwreck in 1784 off the coast of Louisiana. The coins bear the bust of Spanish King Carlos (Charles) III one side and the Spanish coat-of-arms between the Pillars of Hercules on the other. The coins were struck at the historic Mexico City Mint, and were on their way from Mexico to the then Spanish port of New Orleans when the ship was lost at sea. The coins were only recently recovered, and definitely show signs that they have been underseas for the last 200 or so years.  We offer the coin in two grades. The Heavily Corroded coins are identifiable and show major design elements, however much of the silver and most of the design details have been eaten away by the corrosive salt water. We recommend these for someone who would like to have an example of an historic Piece-of-Eight, a lucky pocket piece or just want a real piece of treasure.  The moderately corroded coins are hand selected to show a readible date and a reasonable amount of the design details, including a clear bust of Carlos
Item C-SP8R-HC   PIECE-OF-EIGHT OF CARLOS III  HEAVILY CORRODED    $35.00
Item C-SP8R-MC   PIECE-OF-EIGHT OF CARLOS III (1780-1783)  MODERATELY CORRODED   $99.50

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COINS FROM PORTUGAL'S WARS OF SUCCESSION.

These large, thick, bronze Portuguese Patacos (40 Reis coins) were issued by King Joao VI (John VI) and his son Miguel.  Joao was not up to the task of running the vast Portuguese Empire, which included both Portugal and Brazil.  He assumed the reigns of government as regent for his insane mother in 1799.  In 1807, when Portugal was invaded by France, he and the royal family fled to Brazil under an escort of British warships. He ruled Portugal from Brazil. He returned to Portugal in 1821 after a revolution there made him a constitutional monarch. The same year, and again in 1823, he had to suppress a rebellion by his younger son Miguel.  In 1822, his elder son, Pedro, whom he left in Brazil, declared Brazil to be independent.  Joao died in 1826, possibly of arsenic poisoning.  Pedro assumed the throne of Portugal, briefly reuniting the two countries, before being overthrown in Portugal by Miguel.  In 1831 Pedro abdicated the throne of Brazil in favor of his five-year old son, and returned to Portugal to reclaim the throne of Portugal.  A bloody civil war ensued before Miguel was defeated in 1834. Pedro placed his 15 year old daughter, Maria on the throne of Portugal and he died shortly thereafter. The coins of Joao bear his portrait on the obverse and the Portuguese arms on the reverse. They date from 1812 to 1825.  The coins of Miguel have the arms of Portugal on the obverse, the denomination on the reverse and date from 1829 to 1833. The coins are well circulated, grading About Good to Good.
Item C-PT-JOAO  PORTUGAL 40 REIS, JOAO VI (1812-1825)  AG-G     $8.75
Item C-PT-MIG     PORTUGAL 40 REIS, MIGUEL (1829-33)    AG-G  $8.75

FOR MODERN COINS OF PORTUGAL PLEASE SEE:

PORTUGAL 2 EUROS 2007 EU PRESIDENCY
PORTUGAL SILVER 5 EURO 2007 SCOUTING - BADEN-POWELL
PORTUGESE BI-METALLIC COIN CELEBRATES THE UNITED NATIONS

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OLD POLISH SILVER COIN OF SIGISMUND III

This silver 3 Polker coin of Poland was issued by king Sigismund III Vasa between 1614 and 1628. Sigismund became king of Poland and Lithuania in 1587.  He was also king of Sweden from 1592 until he was deposed in 1599.  His efforts to unite Poland and Sweden caused sixty years of war between the two.  He invaded Russia in 1605, taking advantage of their Time of Troubles.  Despite occupying Moscow and proclaiming himself to be Czar, he was unable to control the country. His war in Russia continued until a peace treaty was finally signed in1618.  One side of the coin has the crowned arms of united Poland and Lithuania.  The other side features the number 24 within an orb, indicating the coin was worth 1/24th of a Thaler.  The coins grade VG to Fine, however they do not have visible dates due to weaknesses in the strike.
Item C-PL-41  POLAND 3 POLKER  (1614-28) VG-F    $10.00

For MODERN coins of Poland please see
1988 AND 1989 POLAND COIN SETS
RECENT POLAND COIN SET
POLAND 2 ZLOTE COMMEMORATIVE SETS
POLAND GOLD ON SILVER WORLD CUP SOCCER COIN
GOSPEL WRITERS ON SILVER PROOF POLISH MILLENNIUM COIN