| This is an example of a one-half real silver coin of the Eighteenth Century. {Note: The obverse appears on the right side; the reverse is on the left.} These images are quite larger than the actual item's size. Whereas the eight-reales coin measures 39mm, or 1-9/16", in diameter, this one-half-real coin measures a mere 17mm, or 5/8", in diameter. As noted in the photos above, this coin is dated to the year 1775. The legend on the reverse side reads: "Hispan Et Ind Rex", which translates into: "King of Spain and the [West] Indies". It is impossible to determine where this coin was minted due to a small piece having been cut out of the edge of the coin right where the mint mark and denomination code would have been. This coin also includes the letters M and J. The letters "M" and "J" are the initials of the names of the assayers at the Lima mint in the 1780s. In this case, the assayers during that time period (1772-1787) were Jose Rodriquez Carasa and Manual Iglesia Abarca, who jointly used the initials "M" and "J". The one-half real coin was, like the eight-reales coin, a milled coin, and therefore was accepted in trade and common use throughout the Spanish domains and the English Colonies. As can be seen by comparing this coin with the eight reales coin, the same images appear on the reverse and obverse, only on a much smaller scale. |
