27.07 grams. A beautiful specimen and an extraordinary rarity in the 8 Reales series. This is the finer of two known examples of the ARC assayer in the Philip V series, both dated 1721. Struck on a thick, chunky, nearly rectangular planchet, this piece shows bold detail on the centers of both sides. Two complete four-digit dates are present, both at the periphery and center. The mintmark and obverse legend are crystal clear, as are the ARC assayer marks on both obverse and reverse. The surfaces are frosty light to medium gray with ideal metal quality. The only other known specimen, illustrated in Restrepo, is more worn and holed, though struck on an attractive large planchet. This piece is plated in Elizondos book on 8 Reales, in the back of the book with other highlights of his collection. The same illustration appears in Calicó with this dates listing as "rarísima."<br /><br />As Restrepo notes, "the known population of [all Philip V] eight reales coins is only six pieces," including two dated 1721, two dated 1722, and two dated 1742. The offering of two of those six in the present sale represents a truly once in a generation opportunity. From the Eldorado Collection of Colombian and Ecuadorian Coins.<p>From the Carlos A. Elizondo, Jr. Collection, before 1971.
