7-¼ Reales (LCV - Royalist countermarked coinage) ND
| Silver | 24.53 g | - |
| Issuer | State of Veracruz (Mexican States) |
|---|---|
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Value | 7¼ Reales (7.25) |
| Currency | Real (1535-1897) |
| Composition | Silver |
| Weight | 24.53 g |
| Shape | Round |
| Technique | Countermarked, Milled |
| Demonetized | Yes |
| Updated | 2024-10-06 |
| Numista | N#57695 |
|---|---|
| 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 7-1/4 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 7-¼ Reales coin from the State of Veracruz (Mexican States) is interesting because it was part of a series of coins that were countermarked by the Spanish Crown to validate their use in the Americas. This coin, in particular, features a unique countermark of a crowned shield with the initials "CF" on either side, indicating that it was issued by the Spanish King Charles IV. The countermark was applied to coins that were already in circulation, which is why the coin still bears the original inscription and design of the Mexican States. This fact highlights the complex history of currency and trade in the Americas during the colonial period.