13.14 grams. A fascinating example that deserves a deep inquiry and study. At first glimpse, it appears to be a simple flipover double strike, with portions of a reverse (shield) intermingled with the dominant obverse (pillars) and portions of an obverse beneath the dominant reverse. A deeper look reveals that the initially struck reverse is actually a <em>different die </em>than the second reverse strike. The dominant obverse strike shows a very clear PoR assayer, clear mintmark, and two pillars. Atop the right pillar is an upside down R with a line over it, the bottom half of an NR mintmark that does not appear on the other reverse strike of this coin. The portion of the shield that is visible to the right of that R reveals the diagonal stripes of the Old Burgundy insignia, a portion of the Hapsburg Shield that is omitted from the reverses of every 4 Reales of the Restrepo M38 type. It appears that this coin is not a flipover double struck, but is rather a 1653 4 Reales struck over a mule like Restrepos M30, a transitional variety of 2 Reales that marries the shield side of M28 to the pillar side of M31. Sedwick illustrates another such transitional piece on page 133 of the fourth edition of <em>The Practical Book of Cobs. </em><br /><br />The 1653 date is very prominent on the obverse striking that is mostly beneath the dominant reverse, which appears to be the same obverse used for the overstrike. The smooth and glossy medium gray surfaces are choice and undisturbed, making study far easier than if this was a salvage coin. A absolutely extraordinary study piece. From the Eldorado Collection of Colombian and Ecuadorian Coins.
