CHARLES II GOLD COB ESCUDO – SCARCE MINT OF BOGOTA ISSUE OF ASSAYER ARCE – MS62 PCGS GRADED COLUMBIA SPANISH COLONIAL COIN (Inv. 20754)

$6,000.00

20754. KINGDOM OF SPAIN, VICEROYALTY OF PERU (1542-1824), COLOMBIA. POSTHUMOUS ISSUE OF CHARLES II STRUCK UNDER PHILIP V.
Gold Cob Escudo (1708-13), 3.34 g, 14 mm. Issue of Bogotá mint.
Fr-9; KM 13; Calicó Type 210.
Ex Stack’s Bowers, Summer 2022 Global Showcase Auction, lot 34385.
PCGS graded MS62. Sole and highest graded coin at PCGS, illustrated on the PCGS site.

The small denomination of 1 escudo is scarce at Bogotá. There are only 5 others on CoinArchives of this denomination, including some that show transposed elements of the decoration. The assayer, the man responsible for striking the coin, was Buenaventura de Arce, whose name or initial is omitted on the gold cobs of this period struck with the name of Charles II under Philip V, a possibly intentional maneuver to cover up a secret wartime fineness reduction. Charles’ name, CAROLUS, is partially preserved on this coin. For a detailed study on Arce’s coinage see Daniel F. Sedwick, Arce’s Doubloons (2025).