Spain 1856M 20 reales Queen Isabel II NGC MS62+

Description: Aurora Rarities is passionate about coins, but what we value most highly are people. We enjoy the study of coins and sharing that enjoyment with collectors. We love the thrill of the hunt and uniting a collector with a long sought after piece. We enjoy reminiscing with old acquaintances and look forward to meeting new ones. Our goal is to make every interaction with our clients and colleagues a quality experience. We provide quality photos and descriptions for all items, respond to questions in a helpful and professional manner, and guarantee the authenticity of everything we sell. Aurora Rarities endeavors to positively contribute to the numismatic community and we invite you to share the journey with us. Item DescriptionThis item is part of a Special Collection (see end of listing for more information) 1856M 20 reales SpainQueen Isabel IIMadrid mintMintage: 989,210 (many of which were melted) obv: Laureate Head Rightrev: Crowned Arms flanked by Pillars of Hercules The 20 reales of this type were issued from 1856 to 1864 at the Madrid, Seville, and Barcelona mints. As the primary store of silver among coins of Spain and possessing more silver content than other similarly sized coins of Europe at the time, 20 reales coins were heavily exported throughout Isabel's reign. Many were melted and those that remained were worn and damaged to such an extent that finding an attractive example is very challenging in any grade. AU examples are rarely seen and uncirculated examples are almost never seen. So rare are these coins in eye appealing, problem free condition that coins with nice eye appeal which exhibit mild cleaning or small scratches are often acceptable to collectors and trade at prices reflecting this. As of 1856 the "Laureate Head" and "Draped Laureate Bust" designs were henceforth used on silver and gold coins, respectively. These beautiful representations of the queen make the coins of 1856-1868 among the most sought after coins of her reign. The Chief Engraver, Luis Marchionni's initials "LM" appear at the base of the neck on the bust of each coin. The 20 reales of this type were issued from 1856 to 1864. This coin is an exceptionally attractive example of the type. Prooflike fields frame sharply struck, lustrous devices with marks commensurate with the grade. This is what may be a once in a lifetime opportunity to own an attractive, problem free, uncirculated example of this issue. NGC MS62+ Exceptional Eye Appeal One of the finest known examples (slabbed or otherwise).Top Pop 2/0 at NGC (none graded higher) and Pop 0/0 at PCGS (none graded this high) scarce in circulated grades, extremely rare in uncirculated grades(based on Rarity estimates in The Coins of Queen Isabel II) AR 0.900 fine silver 26.01g 36.9mm 12hEdge: lettered: LEY PATRIA REY ⚜ ⚜ ⚜O’Connor p.132 20R-1856Mex O’Connor Collection Excerpted, with permission for this listing, from the book The Coins of Queen Isabel II of Spain and related writings: If the Spanish sought to emulate the French decimal coinage in order to supplant it with true Spanish coinage, the use of 1/10ths likely came from their observation of the French decime and 1/2 franc. However, while the French had 1 centime coins prior to 1800, Spain's recent decimalization was based purely on tenths. Amounts of less than 5/100ths had to be rounded or old maravedís coins used. Some ministers were also concerned with the potential for counterfeiting of the recently implemented copper coins which had relatively simple designs. Additionally, the sheer volume of small change needed for commerce was immense.The Royal decree of 19 August 1853 replaced the 1/10 division “décima" copper coinage with 1/100 division “céntimos". The denominations of silver and gold remained the same, but copper coins were issued as 5, 10, and 25 céntimos de real. Additionally, it re-opened the mint at Jubia in an effort to dramatically increase the production of copper coin and ordered that all available obsolete copper coins (maravedís and cuartos) currently on hand in Cataluna be moved to Jubia for use in manufacturing new coins. It further required that the queen's image appear on each coin. Article 4 of the royal decree references the 1 January 1854 start date and requires approval of the queen for the coin design.Art 4. Entire copper coin that is struck, counting from January 1st 1854, will bear My Royal effigy on the obverse, with the coat of arms of Spain on the reverse, and accessory and legends which I reserve for My approval. Although an 1855 decree confirmed the real and its 1/100th divisions as the unit of account, coinage denominations below five céntimos would not appear until 1865. A desperate need for small change continued to keep décimas and maravedís in circulation.After the discovery of large quantities of gold in California, the value of gold relative to silver on the world market dropped. As silver 20 reales still contained more silver than other European coins of similar value, the export of 20 reales to the melting pots of Europe and elsewhere accelerated. The gold coins intended to act as a store of value were being dumped on the commercial centers and government of Spain in exchange for more valuable silver even as the value of gold dropped. Spain's government responded by suspending the minting of gold coins in 1851. Despite this decree occurring early in 1851, gold coins of this date and 1852 were issued. No Spanish gold coins were issued with a date of 1853. The Royal decree of 3 February 1854 restored the issuance of gold coins and again reduced the weight of the silver 20 reales.As of 1856 the "Laureate Head" and "Draped Laureate Bust" designs were henceforth used on silver and gold coins, respectively. These beautiful representations of the queen make the coins of 1856-1868 among the most sought after coins of her reign. The Chief Engraver, Luis Marchionni's initials "LM" appear at the base of the neck on the bust of each coin.The coins of the 2nd Decimal period (1854-1864) include: Copper: 5, 10, 25 céntimos de realSilver: 1, 2, 4, 10, 20 realesGold: 20, 40, 100 reales This item is part of a Special Collection we are offering: The author of the book The Coins of Queen Isabel II of Spain is selling their collection (the O’Connor Collection). This collection of rare and exceptional coins and medals of Queen Isabel II of Spain and the Philippines and other coins and medals featuring real and mythological women will be offered by Aurora Rarities LLC through our ebay store beginning July 2022. This collection will be offered in multiple phases: • Medals of Queen Isabel II 1833-1868 [ONLINE NOW]• Other Exceptional Medals featuring Real & Mythological Women [ONLINE NOW] • Kingdom (Pre-Decimal) Coins of Queen Isabel II 1833-1848 [ONLINE NOW]• 1st Decimal Coins of Queen Isabel II 1848-1853 [ONLINE NOW] • 2nd Decimal Coins of Queen Isabel II 1854-1864 [ONLINE NOW]• 3rd Decimal Coins of Queen Isabel II 1854-1864 [ONLINE NOW]• Philippine Coins of Queen Isabel II 1861-1868 [ONLINE NOW]• Coins of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands [ONLINE NOW] Many of these pieces are of such exceptional rarity and quality as to be once in a lifetime opportunities. You will receive the exact lot shown in the photos. Please scroll down to view images of the item.ALL IMAGES COPYRIGHT AURORA RARITIES LLC See our other items and save us as a favorite seller to see new items posted frequently. PoliciesPut simply, our policy is to always do the right thing. Additional details may be found below and in the payment, shipping, and returns sections of this auction. Guarantee of Authenticity Numismatics is a wonderful hobby inhabited primarily by knowledgeable and helpful people who enjoy the hobby as much as you and I do. However, in recent years forgers have made the hobby, especially online, something of a minefield. Aurora Rarities LLC takes significant precautions, aided by many years of experience, to assure that our inventory contains only authentic items. Aurora Rarities LLC offers a lifetime guarantee that every item we sell is authentic as described. Should any item that we sold as authentic be deemed not authentic by PCGS or NGC simply submit to us the document from PCGS or NGC which identifies the item in writing as "counterfeit", "forgery", or "not genuine" along with the Aurora Rarities LLC receipt and the item in question. Upon confirmation of these items we will refund 100% of the original purchase price to the original purchaser. For items we sell which are already certified the PCGS or NGC guarantee of authenticity applies and those companies will honor their guarantee directly. ShippingThis lot can be shipped within the USA. FREE SHIPPING via USPS Registered Mail within the USA. Registered Mail is the only shipping method available for this lot. We work hard to ensure your order is well packed and promptly shipped. Once shipped, the USPS shipping method associated with this listing is estimated to take 3 to 5 business days. However, due to ongoing challenges faced by USPS beyond our control, some shipments may take as much as 20 days to arrive. If you have not received your order after 21 days please notify me and I will promptly resolve it. In accordance with ebay policy, buyer’s use of a mail forwarding service is entirely at buyer’s risk. No claim for lost shipment will be honored by seller if buyer uses mail forwarding service. All items subject to prior sale. We reserve the right to refuse service or cancel orders for security related reasons. Rarity and census report information is as of the date of the original listing and is subject to change without notice. _gsrx_vers_1516 (GS 9.3 (1516))

Price: 5882 USD

Location: San Antonio, Texas

End Time: 2024-02-08T02:33:16.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD