Coin and Paper Money Collecting/Spainsh coin perhaps?

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Expert: - 3/28/2010


Question
Hi Dmitry  i have a gold coin which reads FERDND-VII-D-G  HISP-ETIND-R from 1812 with a picture of a man with a ponytail and bow in it on one side, and on the other a crest in the centre with AUSPICE-DEO-(NR-JF UPSIDE DOWN) IN-UTRO Q-FELIX around the edge. There is an 8 on one side of the crest and an s on the other i believe this to signal 8 scudos.

Could you please help me identify this coin as from what i've read online it could be from Mexico, Bolivia or Spain? I would also be keen to know the value of the coin bearing in mind it has a bit of wear and tear.

Thanks a million
yours faithfully
Draiochta

Answer

Hi Draiochta,
This particular gold 8 escudos is from Colombia. The NR on the back stands for Nuevo Reino, Bogotá, Colombia where the coins were made.
It is hard to put an exact value without seeing the condition of the coin. For comparison, the coin in the picture I attached has moderate wear, a little damage by the edge and has also been cleaned. It sold for $900, which would be the range for a coin with "wear and tear".
Thanks for the question! =)

Dmitry Livshits

Expertise

My specialty is world coins from the 18th to 20th centuries, primarily non-US foreign coins and related areas such as errors and exonumia (tokens, medals, etc.). I can answer questions relating to identification, grading, selling, preservation and evaluation of such items. In addition to catalog value, I can give you the practical market value and trends for specific types of coins. I will also take questions regarding counterfeits (both modern and antique) and on how to identify them. I am NOT knowledgeable in paper money/banknotes, ancient or "shipwreck" coins. Thank you.

Experience

Collector of world coins since early childhood. Access to a variety of auction records and reference material. You can also find me on Facebook.

Education/Credentials
A.S. in Psychology (2006), B.A. in Forensic Psychology (2008), M.A. in Forensic Psychology (2011).

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