1808 TH 8 Reales
Carolus IIII
Mexico City Mint
In1808 there were two types of 8 Reales issued by the Mexico City Mint. The first one, an 1808 TH, was issued underCarolus IIII. This was his final issue. The second, issued later in the year was alsoan 1808 TH, but was issued under Ferdinand VII.The Kings changed, the assayers remained the same. The coin underconsideration is the first type of 1808 coin, issued under Carolus IIII.
Thepractice at the mint was to identify the assayers by placing the seniorassayer’s initial first when going around the coin clockwise, using the initialof what we call “the first name” in the United States of America. “Senior”refers to the assayer hired first at the mint.
TomasButron Miranda (T) was an assayer from 1801 into 1810, Henrique BuenaventuraAzorin (H) from 1803 into 1814, making the initials TH.
Thebig story during this time period was the abdication of Carolus IIII on March19, 1808. This is what was responsiblefor the change in the coins. Carolusturned the throne over to his oldest living son, Ferdinand VII, who then becameKing of Spain on that date. (Four of Ferdinand’s older brothers had died whenyoung children).
NapoleonBonaparte had a large standing army in Spain at that time, and distrustedFerdinand VII. Napoleon was able to get Carolus IIII to retract his abdicationof March 19 and abdicate instead to Napoleon Bonaparte on May 5. Ferdinand VII was forced to abdicate (turnthe throne back over to his father) on May 6.Since Carolus had abdicated to Napoleon the previous day, Napoleon heldthe throne, who turned it over to his older brother Joseph, who became KingJoseph I of Spain on June 6, 1808. OnAugust 11 the abdications of Carolus to Napoleon and Ferdinand to Carolus weredeclared null and void. On August 24,Ferdinand was proclaimed King of Spain again.
OnJanuary 14, 1809, the British Government acknowledged Ferdinand VII as King ofSpain. Emperor Napoleon agreed toacknowledge Ferdinand King of Spain on December 11, 1813, at which time heturned the throne back over to Ferdinand VII, who again became King of Spainfrom December 11, 1813 until his death on September 29, 1833. During thisperiod from 1808-13, Spain’s central government recognized Joseph as King, butthe citizens of Spain did not.
MexicoCity 8 Reales from 1791 issued under Carolus IIII through the armored bustseries ending in 1811 issued under Ferdinand VII were 89.6% pure silver.
Coin Toning:
Whena silver coin like this one tones, it gradually changes from white toblack.
Thisone has toned to where it has become somewhat dark, but a long way from black.
Thephysical appearance of a coin will differ depending on the type, intensity andangle of the light under which we view the coin.
Forphotographing this toned coin, I use a 100 watt incandescent light bulb at adistance of about 1 foot. Incandescentlight is the type used when grading coins.
Forthe photographs shown, the coin and the light stay very much the same distancefrom each other, but not exactly the same.Photographs from different angles show the underlying tone of the coinand an array of colors not seen when photographing the coin with all 3 alignedsomewhat vertically. When camera – light– coin are in somewhat vertical alignment, the coin appears dark, as seen insome of the photographs.
Sales Information
DOMESTIC SALES - FREE SHIPPING.
If you live in California, there is an 7.75% Sales Tax
Tracking Numbers:I will post a trackingnumber after I ship to you.
INTERNATIONAL SALES
I am currently making internationalsales.
Iwould appreciate your paying me in a timely fashion after the close of thesale.
Other Information
My shipment to you: The 8thlargestcity in theUSAno longer has a Post Office open after 5:00PM Mondaythrough Friday. My mail route is “a training route” so I no longer have anyidea who is going to be delivering my mail, or at what time of day. I amnot going to leave a $50-$500 coin outside to be picked up by “whomever”.Given all of this, if you win and pay for a coin this morning, it probablywon’t be put in the mail this afternoon. They are taken to the PostOffice to be mailed.
Returns: This is a collector coin and not justsome chunk of silver bullion. If you do not feel that this coin is “rightfor you” after you have examined it, send an email letting me know it is comingback to me. Return shipping cost is at the buyer’s expense. Returnit at your convenience, preferably within 14 days. The shipping to you is at myexpense for domestic shipping.
Thisis an old collector’s coin, and you and I both know, as coin collectors,sometimes a coin that looks good from photos does not measure up to ourexpectations. After you have looked at it, if you decide that it is “notfor you”, you don’t have to list a bunch of reasons why you have decided you donot want it. Just let me know that you will be sending it back so that Iwill know to expect it. I have other old 8 Reales. If for somereason you don\'t feel satisfied with this coin, that doesn’t mean youwon’t be happy with the next one you win.
Pleaseread everything I have stated to you about this coin, if I have made anyspecific comments about it. If there is something of interest to youabout the coin that I did not explain to you in this listing, send anemail.
I want you to be satisfiedwith what you get.
I want to build a positivebusiness relationship with you, not just “get a sale”.
