26.68 grams. No "royals" are recorded or rumored among the 8 Reales of Santa Fe, but this piece suggests what one might look like. The surfaces are gilt, now worn and pale yellow, evocative of gilt royals from other mints. Three holes are seen: at 12:00, at 6:00, and at 3:00. In an inversion of the usual striking characteristics of this type, the absolute centers are soft but the peripheries actually show a wealth of detail, reminiscent of the 1702 from the British Museum collection plated in Restrepo. The date and assayer are exceptionally bold, the mintmark is present if a bit weak. On the reverse, only minor double striking is seen, and all of the shield is bold but for a soft spot above the center junction. The ordinal is visible, as is the portion of the denomination not affected by the hole. A very interesting and exceptional specimen, almost certainly not a royal in the technical sense but still evocative of one. From the Eldorado Collection of Colombian and Ecuadorian Coins.
