The Lyall Collection of Cut and Countermarked Coins

St Vincent, Authority of September 1811, Twelve Bitts (valued at Nine Shillings), Charles IIII, 8 Réales, 1795fm, Mexico City, with a large central hole, obv. countermarked &/xii raised within a shaped indent, 17.54g/270.7gr (Prid. 30, erroneously listed as a modern copy). Coin and countermark good fine, of the highest rarity (only one other specimen recorded, Roehrs lot 279) £1,000-1,500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Lyall Collection of Cut and Countermarked Coins.

View
Collection

Provenance: A. Chesser Collection, DNW Auction 117, 30 September 2013, lot 3502.

The use of the & in the countermark is unusual. It could well be that a replacement punch was required, or perhaps another person was assigned to pierce and stamp these dollars and the & was to identify the other individual. There is also the possibility this could be an unofficial issue. If the latter possibility is correct then as the weight is within the expected range ‘unofficial’ is perhaps a better designation than contemporary counterfeit