| Stack's Bowers Galleries (& Ponterio) > Collector's Choice November 2022 Auction | Auction date: 14 November 2022 |
| Lot number: 71049 Price realized: 650 USD (Approx. 629 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: BOLIVIA. Cob 2 Reales, ND (1576-86)-P. Potosi Mint; Assayer Juan de Ballesteros Narvaez (B). Philip II. PCGS AU-55. KM-3.5; Cal-370. Weight: 6.71 gms. A beautifully preserved and well-struck 2 Reales piece. The fine obverse details offer a sharp Habsburg shield on the obverse, topped with a fully defined crown and flanked by the mintmark, assayer's initial, and denomination. The outer legend is mostly intact, displaying most of the monarch's name. The reverse is no less impressive, with nicely detailed castles and lions in a nearly passant stance. The central devices are surrounded by complete octolobes, in turn surrounded by a remarkably full legend. To view all items from the Pat Johnson Collection, click here. From the Pat Johnson Collection. Estimate: $200 - $300 |  |
Match 1:
| Stack's Bowers Galleries (& Ponterio) > Collector's Choice November 2022 Auction | Auction date: 14 November 2022 |
| Lot number: 71073 Price realized: 280 USD (Approx. 271 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: BOLIVIA. Cob 8 Reales, ND (ca. 1627)-P. Potosi Mint; Assayer Juan Jimenez de Tapia (T). Philip IV. PCGS VF-30. KM-10; Cal-Type-164. Weight: 26.26 gms. This 8 Reales cob exhibits earthen deposits surrounding the devices, evidence of its past as part of a buried treasure. The coin was crudely struck and shows surface wear, resulting in most details being unreadable. The obverse displays a clear mintmark and impressively complete Habsburg shield. The reverse was dramatically double struck, presenting two distinct crosses. Not enough detail remains to definitively identify the coin, as evidenced by the rather wide date range presented on the PCGS holder. In this numismatist's opinion, however, the piece was most likely struck during the tenure of Juan Jimenez de Tapia as assayer. Close study of the shield's layout as well as the style of the castles and passant lions led to this conclusion. Sure to excite collectors, this piece offers abundant eye appeal and intrigue. To view all items from the Pat Johnson Collection, click here. From the Pat Johnson Collection. Ex: Camino Real Treasure Find. Estimate: $400 - $600 |  |
Match 2:
| Stack's Bowers Galleries (& Ponterio) > Collector's Choice November 2022 Auction | Auction date: 14 November 2022 |
| Lot number: 71082 Price realized: 480 USD (Approx. 465 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: BOLIVIA. Cob 4 Reales, ND (1627-29)-P. Potosi Mint; Assayer Juan Jimenez de Tapia (T). Philip IV. PCGS EF-40. KM-17A; Cal-Type-279. Weight: 13.60 gms. A cob struck on an irregular flan that unfortunately cuts off the final digit of the date. From the remaining digits, as well as the assayer's initial, it can be dated to the second period of Tapia as assayer, 1627 to 1629. Despite the odd flan, this cob offers an excellently detailed obverse shield and a pleasant pewter-gray toning along with earthen deposits. To view all items from the Pat Johnson Collection, click here. From the Pat Johnson Collection. Ex: Paul Karon Collection (Ponterio 3/90) Lot # 331. Estimate: $300 - $500 |  |
Match 3:
| Stack's Bowers Galleries (& Ponterio) > Collector's Choice November 2022 Auction | Auction date: 14 November 2022 |
| Lot number: 71036 Price realized: 320 USD (Approx. 310 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: BOLIVIA. Cob 4 Reales, ND (1578-86)-P. Potosi Mint; Unknown Assayer (C). Philip II. PCGS Genuine--Holed, VF Details. KM-4.2; Cal-524. Weight: 13.45 gms. A charming cob with an intriguing assayer. A rather small and unobtrusive hole can be seen at 3 o'clock on the obverse. Between the mintmark and assayer, a muddled area conceals the prior assayer's marking. Large portions of the legend are readable on both sides, and the coin has a pleasing pewter-gray tone overall. This assayer "C", whose name is unknown, started engraving his initial on dies bearing the "B" of Ballesteros sometime during the latter's term as assayer, 1578-1586. A faintly covered "B" is visible between the mintmark and initial "C" on his issues. This mysterious assayer did not last long at the Potosi mint, apparently, as Ballesteros soon thereafter began adding his initial over that of "C". To view all items from the Pat Johnson Collection, click here. From the Pat Johnson Collection. Ex: Kagin's ANA Auction (8/1983) Lot # 1101. Estimate: $200 - $300 |  |
Match 4:
| Stack's Bowers Galleries (& Ponterio) > Collector's Choice November 2022 Auction | Auction date: 14 November 2022 |
| Lot number: 71100 Price realized: 460 USD (Approx. 445 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: BOLIVIA. Cob 4 Reales, ND (1649-51)-P. Potosi Mint; Assayer Juan Rodriguez de Rodas (O). Philip IV. PCGS EF-40; Countermark: AU Details. KM-17B; Cal-Type-279. Weight: 12.77 gms. An exceptionally attractive 4 Reales piece struck on a generously broad planchet. Presented at each side of the nearly complete Habsburg shield are the mintmark, assayer's symbol, and denomination mark. On the right, the monarch's full name is legible. The reverse shows complete castles and lions, struck with fine detail and intruded only by a distinct crown countermark. Though the word "ANO" is visible on the outer legend, the date that follows it is unfortunately off-flan. This impressive crown is endowed with beauty, rarity, and historical intrigue in equal measure. Following the Potosi Mint Scandal and execution of the guilty parties, Juan Rodriguez de Rodas and his assistant Antonio Ovando were brought on as assayers in 1649. Incredibly, they too were found to be involved in fraudulent activity at the mint and were themselves removed and replaced in 1651. The 4 Reales pieces struck prior to 1649 were revalued at 3 Reales, while those from between 1649 and 1651 (the tenure of Rodriguez de Rodas) were revalued at 3 3/4 Reales. This suggests that while the temptation to steal was too great for Rodriguez de Rodas to resist, the memory of the fraud scandal and ensuing convictions made him cautious enough to conduct his thievery with more subtlety. The crown countermark clearly displayed on the reverse of this coin indicated the devaluation to 3 3/4 Reales. To view all items from the Pat Johnson Collection, click here. From the Pat Johnson Collection. Privately purchased from Mike Dunigan. Estimate: $400 - $600 |  |
Match 5:
| Stack's Bowers Galleries (& Ponterio) > Collector's Choice November 2022 Auction | Auction date: 14 November 2022 |
| Lot number: 71101 Price realized: 460 USD (Approx. 445 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: BOLIVIA. Cob 4 Reales, ND (1649-51)-P. Potosi Mint; Assayer Juan Rodriguez de Rodas (O). Philip IV. PCGS Genuine--Environmental Damage, EF Details; Countermark: EF Details. KM-17B; Cal-Type-279. Weight: 10.90 gms. Though slightly corroded and struck on a narrow planchet, this 4 Reales piece retains sharp detail on the obverse, including a distinct assayer's mark. A crowned "F" countermark is boldly struck on the center, signifying a devaluation to 3 3/4 Reales. The reverse is less well-preserved, though it still shows pleasing castles and lions. An attractive piece with abundant visual interest. To view all items from the Pat Johnson Collection, click here. From the Pat Johnson Collection. Estimate: $300 - $500 |  |
