MEXICO. Guadalajara. War of Independence. 8 Escudos, 1821-Ga FS. Guadalajara Mint. NGC AU-55. KM-161.1; Onza-1204 ("rara"). Bare laureate head type; variety with punctuated F-S assayer initials in legend. A massively appealing example of this famed issue which exhibits surfaces that are minimally marked and maintain lively gleam. Dynamic tone tops both sides, with rich orange-golden color in the fields that intensifies and, in the process, adds a reddish hue, around many of the raised designs. Never seen entirely complete, the strike on this coin easily ranks among the best seen, with a pleasing rendering of Ferdinand VIIs bust and only a small patch of softness in the upper left quadrant of the shield on the reverse. While trivial overall, a small as-minted inclusion appears at the obverse rim at 3 oclock, and should not be confused for a file mark. Worthy of exalted status, this piece compares favorably to other elite survivors, achieving the same grade as the Rudman and Eliasberg specimens, with a better strike than is seen on the Eliasberg piece, as well as examples from other renowned collections such as Norweb, Karon and Gerber. Considering this, a coin that is destined to enter a cabinet of seldom-matched sophistication. From the Oro del Nuevo Mundo Collection.
