(sold for $362.0)

1756, Guatemala, Ferdinand VI. Silver 8 Reales Coin. Rare Spanish Pillar Dollar!

Mint Year: 1756 Mint Place: Guatemala (G) Assayer: Jose de Leon y Losa (J) Denomination: 8 Reales "Pillar  Dollar" References: KM-18 ($750 in VF!). Very Rare!  Condition: Pierced, with scratches around hole from suspension, otherwise a nicely toned XF! Material: Silver (.917) Weight: 26.78gm Diameter: 40mm

Obverse: Spanish shield with arms of Castile (a castle) and León (a lion), flanked by assayer letter (*J*) and denomination numeral (*8*). Legend: * FERDIND . VI . D . G . HISPAN . ET IND . REX Translation: "Ferdinand VI by the Grace of God, King of the Spains and the Indies"

Reverse: Crowned hemispheres, set on Gibraltar, between crowned and banner-entwined pillars of Hercules. Legend: VTRAQUE VNUM * G * I756 * G * Translation: "(he) united them (the old and the new world)!"

For your consideration a  rare colonial 8 reales (pillar dollar) coin struck at the Guatemala  mint and issued under Ferdinand VI of Spain during 1756. A decent  specimen of this popular and hard to find mint!

Pillar coins were a great improvement over cobs in that they were of a uniform size and weight without cracks or uneven edges. They had a deep full strike with all information clearly visible and were difficult to clip or counterfeit. Denominations for this new coinage included the one half, one, two, four and eight reales coins.

Ferdinand VI, (23 September 1713 - 10 August 1759), King of Spain from 9 July 1746 until his death. He was the fourth son of the previous monarch Philip V and his first wife Maria Luisa of Savoy. Ferdinand, the second member of the Spanish Bourbon dynasty, was born in Madrid on 23 September 1713.