The Roehrs Collection of West Indies Cut and Countermarked Coins (Part I)

Dominica, ——— Five-and-a-Half Bitts (?), viceroyalty of peru, Charles IIII, 4 Réales, 1794pr, Potosí, centrally pierced from the obv. with a circular hole of 16 crenations, 10.78g/166.3 gr (Prid –; KM. –). Fine, a modern concoction £250-300

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Cut and Countermarked Coins formed by the late Edward Roehrs.

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Provenance: R. Prann Collection; H.D. Gibbs Collection, Hans Schulman Auction (New York), 18-19 March 1966, lot 1413; R.A. Byrne Collection, Jess Peters Auction (Los Angeles), 13-15 June 1975, lot 1214.

There does not seem to be any supporting evidence indicating this as a denomination provided for in Dominica. The ‘moco’ removed from the 4 réales would certainly cause confusion with the mocos taken from the 8 réales. In spite of the late Mr Roehrs’ strong belief in the legitimacy of this coin, the cataloguer must classify it as a modern concoction, although the coin has a provenance extending back to the 1930s