If you have chosen to collect the Republic cuatro reales, be prepared for frequent frustrations as the 4 Reales series is one the most difficult to assemble. It is especially challenging if you are attempting to complete it, either by DAM or Mint Type in high-grade (Extra Fine or better). It is a series requiring a relatively high level of discretionary funds and an even greater amount of time in order to attain anything other than the most modest of goals. The disappointments are frequent and vexing, but the numismatic rewards are great for a collector of this series.
Let me state a personal observation after studying, weighing, attributing, and scanning thousands of Mexican Republican coins from all silver and gold denominations for the FoxLair Reference Collections:
“We have noted an overall lack of high-quality flans in the early republican mints’ 4 Reales. We have seen very small flans and very large ones, a substantial number that have laminations, inclusions, and noticeable porosity. Many, if not the majority, of the early Potosi and Zacatecas coins are not even close to being round; most are egg or oval shaped. There are many striking and minting irregularities found in these early years ranging from cracked flans, legends running off the coin, wavy flans (not flat across the whole surface of the coin), incomplete and or weak legends and very mushy looking coins. There are many reasons for this; poor quality control in the melting and rolling of the flans, poor working conditions in the mints, very low striking pressures in order to save wear and tear on dies, the lack of closed collars, poor quality steel available to make dies, punches, rollers, and hubs.
We assume that many experts believe that each and every finished coin produced by the Mexican Republican mints was individually weighed; if the coin was overweight it was then filed down to the exact weight it was supposed to be; on the other hand if it was underweight it was thrown back into the melting pot to be recycled once again. This is myth and total hogwash! We have found no indications in our research that this theory has any factual supporting evidence. We are under the opinion that both blank flans and finished coins were weighed in batches, or groups to make sure that that batch was within acceptable tolerances. If the batch of flans was in tolerance it was then used to make coins, or if it was finished coins they were then bagged. If a batch was out of tolerance then each coin or flan may have been looked at, or weighed to find the problems. But even this is pure speculation because we have found so many underweight coins in all series of early republican coinage in our research! ”
All Republican 4 Reales use the same basic design as the 8, 2, 1 and ½ Reales; on one side you find a Cap with Rays on the other one of several Facing Eagles. As far as we can determine at this time no Hookneck 4 Reales were struck at any Mexican Republic mint. The Obverse of each 4 Real features the ancient Aztec symbol of victory; an eagle grasping a snake in its beak and its right claw while using the other leg to stand on a cactus that is rising out of Lake Texcoco. Below and to the right is laurel branches, leaves and berries, to the left are oak branches with leaves and acorns. The legend around the top half of the outer perimeter of the coin reads REPUBLICA MEXICANA. Sometimes there is a dot after MEXICANA and sometimes there is not. The Reverse features a Phrygian Cap with the word LIBERTAD (Liberty) in block letters across its base. Extending out from behind the Cap are Rays. Thus, the design signifies the dawning of liberty (freedom from Spanish rule) in Mexico. The Reverse legend reads “ê 4R • Mintmark • date • assayer initials • fineness•” for example a Zacatecas 4 Reales minted in 1830 would read: ê 4R• ZS• 1831• O• M• 10 DS• 20 GS•. Note that there were several variances from mint to mint and even year to year within an individual mint, which many collectors of the series find fascinating. Depending on how much detail one chooses to include in his/her collecting criteria, varieties can be almost endless as nearly every set of dies was at least slightly different from those preceding and following.
Usually the edge design is referred to as ornamental, but there are two exceptions, see the Oaxaca Analysis. Fineness is expressed as “10 DS 20 GS” (with the DS and GS being abbreviations for Dineros and Granos) and found as part of the legend on the Cap side of the coin. Twelve Dineros is pure silver and each Dinero is divided into 24 Granos thus it is 10 of a possible 12 Dineros plus 20/24 of another Dinero (when added together it comes to nearly 11/12) and calculates (260 ÷ 288) to 0.9027% silver in a decimal system.
Like the 50¢ of Mexico’s northern neighbor, the 4 Reales was not that popular with the citizenry or the mints as evidenced by the relatively few that were actually struck. However, most of the 4 Reales did circulate and it seems that none of the ten mints that produced 4 Reales ever struck a large number of them in any single year. Even the Mexico City mint was not exempt. It struck the first 4 Reales -- by any mint -- in 1827, but did not produce another until 1850. In fact, Mexico City only issued the 4 Reales in twelve of the forty-two years it produced minor Real coinage (1824-1870 leaving out 1864-66 because of the Maximiliano intervention). As you might expect, aside from a few “common” DAMs examples from Guanajuato and Zacatecas, finding a true Uncirculated 4 Reales is a difficult endeavor. Another problem the collector faces is that this issue often comes with softly struck centers even in the better condition, so grading them properly can be difficult. Being eternally optimistic, we continue to hope that there are some high-grade examples out there just waiting to be discovered, perhaps a hoard of 4 Reales! For an excellent picture of an exceptional Mexico City 4 Reales, refer to the 6th Edition of the Buttrey-Hubbard Guide Book, page 76. We believe they don’t come any better.
As stated earlier, there is no record of any Hookneck Eagle 4 Reales being struck at any mint. However mystery and controversy begins with the supposedly first 4 Reales struck in 1827 at the Mexico City Mint. This first issue of the Republican 4 Reales is what we refer to as a Mexican Numismatic Anomaly because all verified Mo 1827 JM 4 Reales are the 7/6 OverDate; therefore it is possible that there are Mo 1826 JM 4 Reales out there somewhere. However, a more likely explanation is that the dies were prepared in 1826, but for reasons unknown the production did not begin until 1827, thus the last digit was over-punched. Another interesting fact about the Mo 1827 JM 4 Reales is that it comes with both medal and coin orientations. The next 4 Reales issue came three years later from Zacatecas, which was the only mint to strike 4 Reales from 1830 through 1834. Starting in 1835 at least two mints, and in some years up to six, struck the 4 Reales. There was a two-year hiatus in 1865 and 1866 because of the Maximiliano episode. Production of the 4 Reales restarted in 1867, but halted permanently sometime during 1870.
Another interesting feature is the “Star” generally found before the denomination (4R•). Normally we find a “Five-Point Star”, but at other times a “Six-Point Star” and sometimes an unusual “Eight-Point Star”. There are several dies, for different 4 Reales, where the “Star” is incomplete, we found a few where multiple stars were present, and a couple with no “star”.
The Eagles found on the different 4 Reales also present many challenges for the 4 Reales collector. These include the Soho Style, the Sonora Style (oops ... Big Mistake, there are no 4 Reales known to exist with the Sonora Style Eagle, sorry for this error), the early Mexico City Facing Eagle Style, the unique early Eagles from Guadalajara, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosi and Zacatecas, which at first glance might be thought to be the same, but once studied are much different.
The silver 4 Reales is fairly long series (150+ DAMs reported) of Republican coins and they are similar in many ways to the smaller Real issues. Most catalogs and collectors don’t recognize the many styles of the Republican 4 Reales, and the large number of different eagles found therein. There are several styles, which should interest the “4 Reales Style Type Collector”. While many of the 4 Reales DAMs use an Eagle similar to the early Mexico City Style of 1827 Eagle there is a multitude of other Eagle styles found on the 4 Reales.
Like the smaller denominations there are many ways to collect silver 4 Reales, but as usual the most popular method is still the Denomination Type Collector. This Type Collector may have to wait several years to find even one nice Mint State example, but it is possible because several hoard dates are known for the 4 Reales. Again, like the smaller silver Reales, beyond the hoard dates life becomes more complicated as some DAMs and many varieties are extreme rarities, especially in high-grade.
Unlike the smaller silver Real issues, we find four Republican mints with no records of 4 Real production: Alamos, Chihuahua, Durango, and Estado de Mexico. Two mints struck 4 Reales with a single date: Catorce and Oaxaca. Of the 10 mints striking 4 Reales most produced very limited numbers, these include Catorce, Culiacan, Guadalajara, Guadalupe y Calvo, Hermosillo, Mexico City, and Oaxaca. Only Guanajuato, San Luis Potosi and Zacatecas produced large numbers of 4 Reales in a number of years. More than a few of the Republican silver 4 Reales are extreme rarities, especially in grades above Fine, supporting the argument that they were commonly used in day-to-day business. Silver 4 Reales were minted from 1827 until 1870 and there are several 4 Reales thought to be contemporary counterfeits/fakes.
Finding high-grade (Extra Fine or better) silver 4 Reales for most dates and mints is a problem for the collector. There are several very advanced DAM and Varity Collectors for this series and it isn’t unusual to see asking prices nearing $10,000 for rare and high-grade specimens when they do surface.
In the past the 4 Reales DAM Collector has had problems just sorting out the total number of these coins because of their overall rarity, and there are a number that are still unlisted in modern coin catalogs. Additionally there are several contemporary counterfeits and fakes. The silver 4 Reales must be considered to be a fairly large series of Mexican Republic silver coins with at least 150 verified DAMs.
The 4 Reales Variety Collector has more than a difficult task ahead because of the poor quality (low grade) of many 4 Reales found in today’s numismatic market. It is almost impossible to find many of the DAMs or varieties in grades exceeding Fine, thus making full and correct attributions quite difficult.
While preparing this article we have found some very unusual, and for the most part undocumented, Mexican Numismatic Anomalies and Error coins for the Republican 4 Reales. While some collectors may consider these trivial, or even insignificant, we’re sure others will find them very interesting.
The Individual Republican Mints 4 Reales
Catorce (1863): This is a rare One Year Denomination & Mint Type Coin that is almost impossible to acquire in high-grade (Extra Fine or better). There are at least four reported varieties for this 4 Reales and it appears that there are at least three different Eagles found on them. We have seen two different varieties with the large "C" Mintmark and two with the small "c" Mintmarks. While there are reports from a reliable sources that at least one Mint State example is known we have been unable to confirm it; we have not seen the coin, nor do we have any good photographs of it. Inexperienced collectors often overlook the overall rarity of this One Year Denomination & Mint Type Coin, and it is missing from more than one advanced collection of 4 Reales.
Catorce 4R-Ce-1863-1101 Large "C" Mintmark
Catorce 4R-Ce-1863-1201 Small "c" Mintmark
Culiacan (1846 to 1860): There are 6 Culiacan 4 Reales DAM reported; sales and photographs verify all of them. There are rumors of one Contemporary Counterfeit 4 Reales from this mint, but it remains unconfirmed.
Assayer Type Collector: This Culiacan Type Collector has two recorded assayers: CE, and PV.
Assayer CE made 4 Reales from 1846 until 1858. Two DAMs are extremely rare and the C 1857 CE is still unseen by us even though it is confirmed. All are difficult to find in any grade above Fine.
Assayer PV minted 4 Reales for only a single year: 1860 and it is rather tuff to find.
DAM Collector: The Culiacan DAM Collector has more than a difficult task ahead because of the overall rarity of some of the Culiacan 4 Reales.
Denomination Type Collector: There are no known deviations of the denomination on this mint’s 4 Reales.
Style Type Collector: This Culiacan 4 Reales collector needs only three styles, but unlike some of the other minor coins from this mint we have found no Sonora Style or Guadalupe y Calvo Style dies used for the 4 Reales, but there are a couple of undocumented style changes. While all of the Culiacan Eagles are similar to their Mexico City counterparts, there are a couple that have minor differences and these are noted in the text of The FoxLair Mexican Republic 4 Reales Reference Collection© and on The FoxLair 4 Reales Checklist©.
Variety Collector: It appears that most years of 4 Reales production in Culiacan used multiple die pairs, so a fairly large number were probably produced, but this theory can’t be confirmed at this time because of the overall rarity of the Culiacan 4 Reales.
Numismatic Anomalies & Errors: It appears there are no true errors found on the Culiacan 4 Reales. However, there are a couple of peculiarities that are noted in the text of The FoxLair Mexican Republic 4 Reales Reference Collection©.
Contemporary Counterfeits & Modern Fakes: Currently we can’t confirm any contemporary counterfeits or modern fakes for the Culiacan 4 Reales even though they are rumored to exist.
Culiacan 4R-Cn-1846-1101
Culiacan 4R-Cn-1860-2103
Guadalajara (1842 to 1863): Potentially there are 23 Guadalajara 4 Reales DAMs; sales and photographs currently verify 18 of them.
Assayer Type Collector: This Guadalajara Type Collector has only two recorded assayers: JG and MC.
Assayer JG is sometimes listed with a starting date of 1842 or 1843 for 4 Reales production, but we have been unable to confirm any coins produced before 1845 and then this assayer made 4 Reales until 1863. This assayer may have made 4 Reales very year from 1845 until 1863, but three years are unconfirmed (1853, 1861, and 1862) even though they are rumored to exist.
Assayer MC has fully verified 4 Reales from only three years: 1843, 1844, and 1845.
DAM Collector: The Guadalajara DAM Collector has more than a difficult task ahead because of the overall rarity of some of the Guadalajara 4 Reales and the unconfirmed DAMs.
Denomination Type Collector: There are no known deviations of the denomination on this mint’s 4 Reales.
Style Type Collector: This Guadalajara 4 Reales collector needs four styles, even though all are similar and most collectors don’t feel they are Major style changes. The different style changes occur in 1843, 1844, 1852 and 1855. From 1855 to the end of the series in we find designs similar to the Mexico City matrixes used during this period.
Variety Collector: Today it appears that a single die pair was made for most years of 4 Reales production in the Guadalajara Mint. But this theory can’t be confirmed, at this time, because of the overall rarity of the Guadalajara 4 Reales. Therefore we have recorded very few varieties within each DAM.
Numismatic Anomalies & Errors: It appears there are no error coins for the Guadalajara 4 Reales. However, there are anomalies such as the 1854/3 and 1863/2 over dates, where there are no confirmed 4 Reales from 1853 and 1862 reported.
Contemporary Counterfeits & Modern Fakes: Currently we can’t conform any contemporary counterfeits or modern fakes for the Guadalajara 4 Reales even though they are rumored to exist.
Guadalajara 4R-Ga-1843-2101
Guadalajara 4R-Ga-1845-2101
Guadalupe y Calvo (1844 to 1850): There are reported to be 7 different DAMs for this mint’s 4 Reales; all but one are verified by photographs or recorded sales.
Assayer Type Collector: There is a single Assayer MP noted for Guadalupe y Calvo 4 Reales, so this collector should be able to find one coin without too much difficulty.
DAM Collector: The Guadalupe y Calvo DAM Collector has more than a difficult task ahead because of the overall rarity of some of the Guadalupe y Calvo 4 Reales, and one unconfirmed DAM
Denomination Type Collector: There are no known deviations of the denomination on this mint’s 4 Reales.
Style Type Collector: This Guadalupe y Calvo 4 Reales collector needs three styles, even though some may not consider them to be major style changes. Thankfully we don’t find the many different Eagle and Cap & Ray die styles found on the Guadalupe y Calvo 8 Reales.
Variety Collector: Today it appears that a single die pair was made for most years of 4 Reales production in the Guadalupe y Calvo Mint. But this theory can’t be confirmed, at this time, because of the overall rarity of some Guadalupe y Calvo 4 Reales. Therefore we have recorded no varieties within each DAM.
Numismatic Anomalies & Errors: It appears there are no undocumented errors found on this mint’s 4 Reales.
Contemporary Counterfeits & Modern Fakes: Currently we can’t conform any contemporary counterfeits or modern fakes for the Guadalupe y Calvo 4 Reales.
Guanajuato (1835 to 1870): Potentially there are 36 Guanajuato 4 Reales DAMs; sales and photographs verify all 35 of them.
Assayer Type Collector: This Guanajuato Type Collector needs five regular assayers: PJ, PM, PF, YE, and YF. Two other Guanajuato 4 Reales assayers are very controversial: the first is the error Assayer P_ only that is known by a single specimen, and the second is Assayer FR who is believed to have created 4 Reales in 1870, but many experts believe all are contemporary counterfeits.
Assayer PJ began minting 4 Reales in 1835 and continued every year until mid-year 1842, for a total of nine years.
Assayer PM started producing 4 Reales in mid-year 1842 and produced them for seven years until 1848.
Assayer PF minted 4 Reales from 1849 and continued production every year through 1861 for a total of 13 years.
Error Assayer P_ only is known for a single year: 1853.
Assayer YE has only one partial year of verified 4 Reales production: 1862. This makes Assayer YE a “One Year Assayer Type Coin” for the Guanajuato 4 Reales.
Assayer YF started 4 Reales production in mid-year 1862 and continued in 1863, 1867, and 1868.
Assayer FR is reported to have made 4 Reales in 1870, but many experts believe all are contemporary counterfeits.
DAM Collector: The Guanajuato 4 Reales DAM Collector has more than a difficult task ahead because of the overall rarity of several of the Guanajuato 4 Reales DAMs in collectable grades.
Denomination Type Collector: There are no known deviations of the denomination on this mint’s 4 Reales.
Style Type Collector: This Guanajuato 4 Reales collector needs at least four Major styles, plus there are several minor style changes that should interest the serious collector. All of the Guanajuato 4 Reales appear to be made with dies unique to this mint even though some resemble designs similar to Mexico City matrixes used during this period. In my opinion the major die styles are:
Variety Collector: Unlike most of the other Republican mints it appears that many Guanajuato 4 Reales were struck in some years so we see a large number of die pairs for multiple DAMs creating a large number of varieties for this series.
Numismatic Anomalies & Errors: There is at least one previously unrecorded error for the Guanajuato 4 Reales, but there are rumors of several others.
Contemporary Counterfeits & Modern Fakes: Currently we can confirm four contemporary counterfeits and no modern fakes for the Guanajuato 4 Reales.
Guanajuato 4R-Go-1843-1201 Unique Guanajuato Style of 1843 Dies
Guanajuato 4R-Go-1844-1102 Unique Guanajuato Style of 1844 Dies
Guanajuato 4R-Go-1854-1201 Style of 1854 Dies
Guanajuato 4R-Go-1853-2101 Error: "P_" Only Assayer
Hermosillo (1861, 1862 & 1867): There are 3 Hermosillo 2 Reales DAM reported; sales and photographs verify two.
Assayer Type Collector: This Hermosillo Type Collector has two recorded assayers: FM, and PR.
Assayer FM made 2 Reales for two years: 1861 & 1862.
Assayer PR supposedly minted 2 Reales for only one year: 1867.
DAM Collector: The Hermosillo DAM Collector has more than a difficult task ahead because of the overall rarity of all of the Hermosillo 4 Reales.
Denomination Type Collector: There are no known deviations of the denomination on this mint’s 4 Reales.
Style Type Collector: This Hermosillo 4 Reales collector needs only one Major style, even though all of the 4 Reales minted appear to be hand punched. The only style used for the Hermosillo 4 Reales is one very similar to that used in Mexico City. It is a shame that none were made with the beautiful Sonora Style dies.
Variety Collector: At this time it appears that a single die pair was used for each year in Hermosillo except possibly 1867, but this theory can’t be confirmed because of the overall rarity of the Hermosillo 4 Reales.
Numismatic Anomalies & Errors: It appears there are no previously unrecorded errors for the Hermosillo 4 Reales.
Contemporary Counterfeits & Modern Fakes: Currently we can’t conform any contemporary counterfeits or modern fakes for the Hermosillo 4 Reales, even though others are supposed to exist in some Hermosillo minor coinage.
Mexico City (1827 to 1868): Potentially there are 13 Mexico City 4 Reales DAMs; we have verified sales or photographs that confirm all 13.
Assayer Type Collector: Mexico City has six confirmed 4 Reales assayers: JM, GC, GF, FH, CH, and PH.
DAM Collector: The majority of the Mexico City 4 Reales are very difficult to find, and several are extreme rarities making this collection challenging in any grade! There are several DAMs that may take years to find in any grade, let alone in the higher grades.
Denomination Type Collector: Currently we know of no deviations in this mint’s 4 Reales.
Style Type Collector: This collector has only four styles of 4 Reales to find. There is some disagreement as to which are Major and minor style changes, so you decide which is right for you.
Variety Collector: Collecting Mexico City 4 Reales by variety could well be a lifelong project that might never be completed because of the lack of high-grade specimens.
Numismatic Anomalies & Errors: We have found no true errors for the Mexico City 4 Reales during the research for this article.
Contemporary Counterfeits & Modern Fakes: There are several reported contemporary counterfeit Mexico City 4 Reales; all remain unconfirmed at this time.
Mexico City 4R-1861-2101 Style of 1861 Dies
Mexico City 4R-1863-1102 Style of 1863 Dies
Oaxaca (1861): There is a single Oaxaca 4 Reales DAM, but there are at least three varieties reported.
Assayer Type Collector: The Oaxaca 4 Reales Assayer Collector needs only one assayer: FR.
DAM Collector: The Oaxaca DAM Collector needs to find only 1 DAM, this makes this a “One Year DAM Type Coin” that is difficult to locate in grades of Very Fine or better.
Denomination Type Collector: We have found no deviations of the denomination for this mint’s single 4 Reales. With a single year of production we have a “One Year Denomination Type Coin”.
Style Type Collector: The Oaxaca Mint started production of the 4 Reales in 1861 with matrixes that are similar to Mexico City Style dies, with minor modifications. Therefore the Oaxaca 4 Reales Style Collector needs only one Major style to complete this collection.
Variety Collector: The Oaxaca Mint produced very few coins compared to the other Republican mints; this is especially true for the 4 Reales. But with at least three different edge designs (many if not most collectors consider different edge designs to be major varieties) this collector has a difficult task completing this collection.
Numismatic Anomalies & Errors: We know of no Oaxaca 4 Reales error coins today, but with three different edge designs reported one might consider it a Mexican Republic Numismatic Anomaly?
Contemporary Counterfeits & Modern Fakes: Currently we can confirm no contemporary counterfeit or fake Oaxaca 4 Reales.
San Luis Potosi (1837 to 1869): There are 34 San Luis Potosi 4 Reales DAM reported; sales and photographs verify 33.
Assayer Type Collector: This San Luis Potosi Type Collector has five recorded assayers: JS, PS, AM, MC, and RO.
Assayer JS made 4 Reales for two years: 1837 and 1838.
Assayer PS minted 4 Reales for seven different years: 1842, 1843, 1849, 1857, 1861, 1868, & 1869.
Assayer AM created 4 Reales for six years: 1843 to 1848.
Assayer MC minted 2 Reales from 1849 to until possibly 1860. There is much controversy about this final year; some say it doesn’t exist yet the Pablo Gerber collection contained one specimen that is the only one reported.
Assayer RO may have begun 4 Reales production in 1860 (one specimen strike is rumored to exist), but we have verified coins from this assayer for: 1861, 1862, 1863 & 1864.
DAM Collector: The San Luis Potosi DAM Collector has more than a difficult task ahead because of the overall rarity of several of the San Luis Potosi 4 Reales.
Denomination Type Collector: There are two “generally” uncataloged deviations of the denomination for the Republican 4 Reales and they are found on the 1837 and 1838 Potosi 4 Reales. For example:“∗4RS. PI. 1837. J.S.”, this will make life interesting for this collector if you search for high-grade examples.
Style Type Collector: It appears that the early San Luis Potosi 4 Reales were produced with hand punched dies, so most vary greatly from year to year. This 4 Reales collector will need to make some decisions; there are two Major styles and several minor changes we designate as new styles. Both the 1837 and 1838 Potosi 4 Reales use unique styles that closely resemble San Luis Potosi Styles used for the 8 Reales. In 1842 we see a style change; the new Eagle looks similar those used in Mexico City, but it is still unique. The 1842 Potosi Cap & Rays dies are much different than the earlier ones, but they look nothing like the Mexico City 4 Reales. Here are the dates and different styles we have found so far for the Potosi 4 Reales:
The Early Potosi Style of 1837: 1837 & 1838
The Style of 1842: 1842 to mid-year 1844
The Style of 1844: Mid-year 1844 to 1864
The Unique Style of 1860: 1860
The Style of 1868: 1868 & 1869
The San Luis Potosi Mint and its coins need much more research and study. I have found many interesting trends and designs that have led me to developed some unsubstantiated theories that need to be carefully explored before they can be published as fact.
Variety Collector: At this time it appears that Potosi made substantial numbers of 4 Reales in most years and created many die pairs, but this theory can’t be confirmed, because of the overall rarity of some of the Potosi 4 Reales.
Numismatic Anomalies & Errors: It appears there are several previously unrecorded errors for the San Luis Potosi 4 Reales. These include Error Mintmarks, missing stars, etc.
Contemporary Counterfeits & Modern Fakes: Currently we can’t conform any contemporary counterfeits or modern fakes for the San Luis Potosi 4 Reales, even though they are rumored to exist.
San Luis Potosi 4R-Pi-1842-3102 Style of 1842
San Luis Potosi 4R-Pi-1844-1202 Style of 1844
San Luis Potosi 4R-Pi-1860-1101 Unique Style of 1860
San Luis Potosi 4R-Pi-1868-1101 Style of 1868
Zacatecas (1825 to 1870): Of the 44 potential Zacatecas 4 Real DAMs, only 2 are unverified by sales and/or photographs.
Assayer Type Collector: The Assayer Collector has to find only five assayers: OM, MO, VL, JS, and YH.
DAM Collector: The Zacatecas DAM Collector has more than a difficult task ahead because of the overall rarity of several of the Zacatecas 4 Reales and the two unverified DAMs.
Denomination Type Collector: We have found no deviations of the denomination for this mint’s 4 Reales.
Style Type Collector: All of the early Zacatecas 4 Reales appear to have been made from hand punched dies so most vary greatly from year to year. This 4 Reales collector needs two Major styles, even though there are several minor changes we designate as new styles: Therefore most collectors need to find only the early unique Eagle used for the Zacatecas 2 Reales that are very similar to the unique Zacatecas Styles used for the 8 Reales. The Zacatecas Mint converted to style similar to Mexico City “Standardized Mexican” 4 Reales Eagle during mid-year 1842, but not the Mexico City Style Cap & Rays die.
The Early Unique Zacatecas Style of 1831: 1831 to mid-year 1842
The Zacatecas Style of 1842 Eagle: Mid-year 1842 to mid-year 1855
The Zacatecas-Mexico City Style Cap & Rays: Mid-year 1845 to mid-year 1855
The New Zacatecas Style of 1855: Mid-year 1855 to mid-year 1857
The New Zacatecas Style of 1857: Mid-Year 1857 to mid-year 1863
The New Unique Zacatecas Style of 1863: 1863 only
The New Unique Zacatecas Style of 1864: 1864 only
The New Zacatecas Style of 1868: 1868 to 1870
Variety Collector: At this time it appears that Zacatecas produced a large number of 4 Reales resulting a number of die pairs for several years, but this theory can’t be confirmed, because of the overall rarity of some of the Zacatecas 4 Reales.
Numismatic Anomalies & Errors: There is at least one previously unrecorded error mintmark for the Zacatecas 4 Reales where we find a “7” in place of the “Z”. This error mintmark shows up in several other denominations from Zacatecas in both gold and silver coinage.
Contemporary Counterfeits & Modern Fakes: Currently we can’t conform any contemporary counterfeits or modern fakes for the Zacatecas 4 Reales, even though there are reports of contemporary counterfeits and rumors of altered date coins showing up from China.
Zacatecas 4R-Zs-1855-1201 New Zacatecas Style of 1855
Zacatecas 4R-Zs-1857-1201 New Zacatecas Style of 1857
Zacatecas 4R-Zs-1863-2201 New Zacatecas Style of 1863
Zacatecas 4R-Zs-1864-1101 Unique Zacatecas Style of 1864
Zacatecas 4R-Zs-1868-2101 Zacatecas Style of 1868
This creates an unusual opportunity for new collectors to fill a void in the market, especially if you seek a formable challenge and can be satisfied with coins that aren’t Mint State. For those collectors who enjoy collecting truly rare to very rare coins, at “bargain” prices then the Mexican Republic 4 Reales may be a series to consider. An additional incentive for new 4 Reales collectors is that most of the advanced collectors of this series are old men; who are now beginning to dispose of their collections.
This ends Part 3 of our series about the Mexican Republican Silver Minor Reales; we hope you have found it interesting so far? Next time, in Part 4, we will dig deeper into these fascinating coins and try to give you some guidelines for grading and overall availability. Until then, happy hunting.
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