1 Gold Escudo — 1802
Official Portrait of Charles IV · Santa Fe de Bogotá Mint (NR)
Unlike the transitional 1791 2-escudo piece in the collection, this 1-escudo coin already bears the official, definitive portrait design ofCarlos IV, with her characteristic aquiline profile and her hair tied up in ribbon. It is a clean and well-centered piece, with clear legends and a uniform roundness —representative of the gold coin that circulated in the Viceroyalty of New Granada at the dawn of the nineteenth century.
Obverse and Reverse
- Obverse — The Bust:portrait of Charles IV in armor, facing right, with his characteristic aquiline profile and ribbon-tied hair. Legend:CAROL. IV. D. G. HISP. ET IND. R.(“Carlos IV, by the Grace of God, King of Spain and the Indies”). The date “1802” appears sharp and centered 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” (Nuevo Reino, Bogotá) followed by the assayer's initials “JJ”.
Minted in 1802, this piece represents the Santa Fe Mint’s stable gold production near the end of the colonial era. The mint had used screw presses since 1757, after a major expansion adapted the building for mechanized production. The official portrait of Charles IV and the regular planchet demonstrate the system’s full consolidation.
— 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.