One of the outstanding rarities of the Santa Fe onza series, the 1769 issue with assayer JV is thought to be represented by just two surviving specimens. The other variety of this date, with assayer V, is also quite rare. This piece is Uncirculated and boldly lustrous, with full frosty cartwheel luster on both sides and frosty medium yellow gold color. The strike is sharp, trivially misaligned to the top such that no denticles are visible from 9:00 to 12:00 on the obverse and 11:00 to 3:00 on the reverse. Arc die cracks are seen through CAROLUS, and more subtle cracks are present near the mintmark and other peripheral elements at the bottom of the reverse. The visual appeal is absolutely superb, with a highly original appearance despite the presence of horizontal hairlines across the portrait and into the right obverse field that have removed none of the luster or original surface. This date is listed in the Calicó Onza book as "only a few specimens known," "two known" in Restrepo, and "rarisima" in the March 2002 NAC sale, where this coin brought CHF 46,000. From the Eldorado Collection of Colombian and Ecuadorian Coins.<p>From Numismatica Ars Classicas Auction 22, March 2002, lot 277.
