7 Reales (LCV - Royalist countermarked coinage) ND front 7 Reales (LCV - Royalist countermarked coinage) ND back
no image

7 Reales (LCV - Royalist countermarked coinage) ND

 
Silver 23.68 g -
Description
Issuer
State of Veracruz (Mexican States)
Type
Standard circulation coin
Value
7 Reales
Currency
Real (1535-1897)
Composition
Silver
Weight
23.68 g
Shape
Round (irregular)
Technique
Countermarked, Counterstamped, Milled
Demonetized
Yes
Updated
2024-10-06
References
Numista
N#57694
Rarity index
97%

Reverse

LCV stamped on this side of the host coin.

Script: Latin

Lettering: L.C.V.

Unabridged legend: Las cajas de Veracruz

Translation: The City of Veracruz cashiers

Comment

Note: Countermark LCV and 7 on underweight 8 Reales.

During their circulation, several of the silver and gold coins often got clipped to get some of the valuable metal off of them and still try to pass them at full value. People were clever enough to make the cuts or scrape-offs in a way that the coin didn't look reduced. But they eventually reached someone who would weight them instead of just accept them for their face value. When this occurred and the coin was underweight, it was sent for melt down. But during the War of Independence, the uprising armies didn't have the resources or time to melt them down to make new coinage, so instead they stamped them with the current weight and the monogram of the authority who weighed it.

In modern times, many fakes arose, as they where easy to make over very worn or damaged coins to try getting huge profits out of them.

Interesting fact

The 7 Reales coin from the State of Veracruz (Mexican States) is interesting because it was part of a series of coins that were countermarked with the initials "LCV" (for "Leal Casa de la Moneda de Veracruz") to indicate their loyalty to the Spanish crown during Mexico's struggle for independence. This coin, in particular, was made of silver and weighs 23.68 grams, making it a valuable and collectible piece of Mexican history.