1 Gold Escudo — 1787
Official portrait of Charles III · Mint of Santa Fe de Bogotá (NR)
Minted in the last full year of the reign ofCarlos III, this piece shares the type of the one from 1774 but with its own particularity: adie crackdiagonal, clearly visible, that runs through the lower half of the shield on the reverse. In Spanish colonial numismatics, these small — coinage flaws, a product of the enormous pressure of the manual flywheel presses—, are usually appreciated as a testimony to the manufacturing process, rather than as a defect that detracts from the value of the piece.
Obverse and Reverse
- Obverse — The Bust:portrait of Charles III in armor and a laurel wreath, facing right. Legend:CAROL. III. D. G. HISP. ET IND. R.(“Carlos III, by the Grace of God, King of Spain and the Indies”). The date “1787” is clearly visible under the bust.
- Reverse — The Crowned Shield:crowned royal coat of arms of Spain, surrounded by the collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece. Legend:IN. UTROQ. FELIX. A. D.(“In both worlds, happy under the guidance of God”). Flanked by the split designation “1” (left) and “S” (right); in the lower register, the mint mark “NR” (Bogotá) followed by the assayer's initials “JJ”.
- Variety — Die crack:This specimen presents a prominent diagonal crack, which runs from the lower left edge, crosses the lower part of the shield, and ends near the lower right leg of the crown collar.
Minted in 1787, this piece represents the mature Bogotá type from the mint’s mechanized era. The expanded Mint opened in 1756, and from 1757 its coins were produced on screw presses. The die crack visible on the reverse, caused by the process’s high pressures, preserves direct evidence of that colonial technology.
— Historical Context Note
Sources
- Restrepo Restrepo, José Ignacio.Two Hundred Years of Republican Currency in Colombia (1810–2010)— base reference for the Restrepo number.
- Krause, Chester L. y Clifford Mishler.Standard Catalog of World Coins.
- Numista —numista.com(opens in a new tab)
- Rodríguez Soage, José David.«The Santa Fe Mint»(opens in a new tab), eNumismatic, 2021.