(1010) The Mexican Photo Album: Volume 2 Issue 10: Last Revision: 12/12/07
In Issue 9 of Mexican Coin Magic (MCM) we showed you a few of the new and unpublished varieties of the 4 Reales we have found recently while working on the FoxLair Reference Collections; now let’s look at a few unpublished varieties of the Republic 2 Reales in this issue of The Mexican Photo Album.
First, let me thank our contributors for supplying some fantastic specimens of these coins to display for our readers. Hopefully, in the future other collectors will make contributions to this section of MCM as our readers discover how important this information is to the World of Mexican Numismatics.
While attending the Houston Money Show the first weekend of December 2007, we met several readers of Mexican Coin Magic we didn’t know. They ranged from new to old time collectors, and even a few who didn’t collect Mexican coins but who had stumbled on the website. All of these readers of Mexican Coin Magic were impressed by the number of unlisted varieties found published on our website. Some asked questions about how come there were so many and what constituted the different varieties. In answer to these questions we have moved forward the beginning of a series of articles about Mexican coin varieties from Issue 12 to this Issue; you may find it interesting if you are interested in the varieties of Mexican coins. Here is the link to this article (1011) The Back Page: Mexican Republic Coin Varieties Part 1: Major Varieties?
Chihuahua Mint: Most current catalogs and experts agree that all of the Chihuahua 2 Reales are all rare to varying degrees. Little good in depth data has been published about most of the 2 Reales, especially those from Chihuahua. I’m sure after seeing what our research has turned up we will hear about any errors or omissions we have made. So lets have a go at them.
The first published year of production for the Chihuahua 2 Reales is 1832 with a single assayer MR. While most catalogs list only a single variety we have found two; both are Normal Date and Normal Assayer coins, but there are at least two die pairs used to mint them. Both are reproduced below.
FoxLair Variety 2R-Ca-1832-1101 Normal Date Type #1 & Eagle Type #1
FoxLair Variety 2R-Ca-1832-1101 Normal Date Type #2 & Eagle Type #2
From all indications it appears that each of the early Chihuahua 2 Reales were made from individual segment punches dies that were handed applied to the individual working dies. This was probably done because so few were made; making it economically unfeasible to make master dies. One clear indicator of this is the wreath, the number of Laurel berries, and their corresponding leafs found on each die. For instance both of the 1832 2 Reales have 3 berries and 10 leafs, the 1833 4 berries and 14 leafs, the 1834 3 berries and 12 leafs, the 1835 2 berries and 11 leafs, so far we don’t know about the 1836 as we have had no study coins for this DAM. Of course this is a single reference point, but there are others that should be studied; in my opinion these differences makes each new DAM a new Style. Some may disagree, but each is a unique die for a single year.
The first truly unlisted variety for the Chihuahua 2 Reales occurs on the 1835 coin and it is an error variety to boot with no superscript “A” after the “C_” in the mintmark. With a single heavily worn study coin for this DAM we can’t be sure that all of them were produced with this error.
FoxLair Variety 2R-Ca-1835-2101 Error Mintmark: No “A”
The next unlisted variety of the Chihuahua 2 Reales occurs on the 1845 coin where we find an unlisted overdate. Again a single study coin doesn’t prove that all were produced with this overdate, which is unclear on my study coin. I believe the overdate is a 5/3, but this is an illogical overdate because we see a new style of Chihuahua 2 Reales dies on this coin that was introduced in 1844. Therefore I question my attribution and list it as 1845/3? Look at the accompanying scan and give me your opinion.
FoxLair Variety 2R-Ca-1845-1101 Possible 5/3? Overdate
Our last unlisted variety occurs on the 1855 Chihuahua 2 Reales; there has been a conversion to the Soho Style for the Cap & Ray die, but not the eagle on my single study coin. FoxLair Variety 2R-Ca-1855-2101 has a colon after the mintmark that could easily be missed if one is not used to looking at Soho Style coins. Another interesting feature found on this variety is that the “star” before the “2R” is incomplete.
Culiacan Mint: It appears that the first 2 Reales die made at this mint was an error date. At this time we have no idea if any were minted and escaped because both of my study coins are from the fixed die. While this isn’t an unlisted variety; it is incorrectly attributed in most catalogs as a 1846/1146 OverDate. I believe it should be displayed here so that collectors will be on the lookout for the error date coin. The error date GA 1287 FS 8 Reales was discovered because the 1827/1287 OverDate had been known to exist for years. There are other instances of fixed date dies for error dates that haven’t yet been found too. For clarities sake I’m picturing both of my study coins; note that one of them is a later die state coin with signs of clashed dies.
FoxLair Variety 2R-Cn-1846-1101 Fixed Die for Error Date “1146” Specimen #2
Our second possible unlisted variety for the Culiacan 2 Reales occurs in 1850. I have had two study coins from the same die pair and both seem to have a 5/4 Overdate, but again I can’t be sure. These coins use the Style of 1846 Culiacan dies so it is possible. This could also be a case of where a three numeral “184_” logotype punch was existent and the diesinker simply picked it up and erroneously used it while making the new 1850 die.
FoxLair Variety 2R-Cn-1850-1101 Possible Unlisted 5/4 OverDate
The third unlisted Culiacan 2 Reales is really a misattributed coin. Modern catalogs lists a 2/1 OverDate when in reality it really is a 1852/1851 OverDate this time. Again this shows how improper attributions can led to confusion.
FoxLair Variety 2R-Cn-1852-1101 Unlisted 1852/1851 OverDate
Even though some may feel this isn’t important, I believe we have a style change on the Culiacan 2 Reales in 1854. Most of the other Culiacan coinage experienced a style change this year, so maybe my assumption is correct? I have had a single heavily worn study coin for this extreme rarity that I would grade only Fair, so I’m unsure. But here are the scans of this miserable looking coin. If anyone reading this that has a better specimen, I would love to borrow it for a couple of days to properly attribute and scan it.
FoxLair Variety 2R-Cn-1854-1101 Unlisted Style Change
I haven’t had any Culiacan 1856 2 Reales study coins, so I’m assuming another style change occurred in 1857. However, I have problems with this assumption because the only study coin I have for this DAM is another of those ragged looking extremely low-grade coins and it appears to be an overdate. I can’t tell what the overdate is so I call it a 7/?. Upon close inspection of this specimen, at first, I thought it was probably a 7/4, but this is another of those illogical overdates, so I’m sticking with my 7/? attribution.
FoxLair Variety 2R-Cn-1857-1101 Unlisted 7/? OverDate
Durango Mint: Today’s coin-pricing catalogs do a surprisingly good job listing the Durango 1824 Hookneck Style 2 Reales; they have five varieties thanks to Clyde Hubbard and David O’Harrow’s book Hookneck. There is some speculation as to the total number of varieties found for this DAM; it seems like a large number were minted and each die was prepared with individual segment punches. For more information about the Durango Hookneck 2 Reales see pages 124 to 127 in Hookneck, because I’ve only had a single study coin to date and it isn’t an unlisted variety.
The year of 1832 brought great changes in the Durango Mint; this year saw the introduction of the new Paris Style dies to most of Durango’s coinage, including the 2 Reales. An even more intriguing fact about the 1832 2 Reales is there is a possibility that there were three unique Eagles introduced this year: (1) FoxLair Variety 2R-Do-1832-1101, a new Durango Style of 1832 Mexican Facing Eagle (2) FoxLair Variety 2R-Do-1832-1201, a Paris Style Type A Eagle with a Top Knot Feather (3) FoxLair Variety 2R-Do-1832-1301, a Paris Style Type B Eagle without a Top Knot Feather. At this time we haven’t seen the latter coin, but one collector has reported owning one. I have had a single study coin for the two different styles of the Durango 1832 2 Reales, and I’m sorry to report neither is a well struck high-grade specimen. It appears that the Paris Style 1832 is also an unlisted M/L OverAssayer. Below are the scans for both coins.
Below you will find, FoxLair Variety 2R-Do-1832-PT01, scans of the Durango 1832 Trial Strike so you may see what this coin is supposed to look like when it is well struck and in higher grades. But note even this trial strike has some weakness in the legends.
FoxLair Variety 2R-Do-1832-PT01 R L Normal Assayer Paris Style Type A Eagle
Current catalogs list two varieties of the 1834 Durango 2 Reales; (1) a logical 4/2 OverDate (2) an illogical 4/3 OverDate; both with a Normal Assayer. Our research has turned up two varieties so far, but our attributions are much different. FoxLair Variety 2R-Do-1834-1101 is a 4/2 OverDate with an unlisted M/L OverAssayer and FoxLair Variety 2R-Do-1834-1102 is an unlisted 4/3/2 OverDate with an unlisted M/L OverAssayer; both use the Paris Style Type A Eagle with a Top Knot Feather. Now a question about the illogical 4/3/2 OverDate; one must wonder how this overdate came about as there are no reported 1833 Durango 2 Reales. Were dies made, but went unused, or are there simply no survivors from some small mintage. This is the first, of many, Mexican Numismatic Anomalies for the Republican 2 Reales we will encounter in our study.
FoxLair Variety 2R-Do-1834-1101 4/2 OverDate & Unlisted M/L OverAssayer
FoxLair Variety 2R-Do-1834-1102 Unlisted 4/3/2 OverDate & Unlisted M/L OverAssayer
Our next unlisted variety is also an unpublished DAM, the DO 1837 RM 2 Reales, in most current coin pricing catalogs. This coin is FoxLair Variety 2R-Do-1837-1101, a possible 7/4 OverDate with a M/L OverAssayer using a Paris Style Type A Eagle.
FoxLair Variety 2R-Do-1837-1101Unpublished DAM 7/4? OverDate & M/L OverAssayer
The 1841 Durango 2 Reales is normally seen in catalogs with two varieties: (1) a 41/31 OverDate (2) a Normal Date; neither with the M/L OverAssayer. My only extremely low-grade study coin, FoxLair Variety 2R-Do-1841-1101, has a 4/3 OverDate and a M/L OverAssayer that also used the new Paris Style Eagle Type C, which is the “Bald Eagle” with no Top Knot Feather.
FoxLair Variety 2R-Do-1841-1101 Unlisted 4/3 OverDate & M/L OverAssayer
Our next unlisted variety is found on the Durango 1842 2 Reales and is FoxLair Variety 2R-Do-1842-1101. This coin has an unlisted 4/3-2/1OverDate and a Normal Assayer that uses the Paris Style Eagle Type C.
FoxLair Variety 2R-Do-1842-1101Unlisted 4/3-2/1OverDate & Normal Assayer
My single study coin for the Durango 1843 2 Reales, FoxLair Variety 2R-Do-1843-1101, is also an unlisted variety. This coin is a 4/3-3/2? OverDate with a M/L OverAssayer that uses the Paris Style Eagle Type C.
FoxLair Variety 2R-Do-1843-1101 Unlisted 4/3-3/2? OverDate & M/L OverAssayer
Most catalogs list the Durango 1846 2 Reales as a 46/36 OverDate with a Normal Assayer which is an incorrect attribution that should be a 4/3 only OverDate. Our single study coin for this DAM also has a new Paris Style Type E that is a modified “Bald Eagle” with a single Top Knot Feather and is FoxLair Variety 2R-Do-1846-1101.
FoxLair Variety 2R-Do-1846-1101 Unlisted 4/3 only OverDate & Normal Assayer
Most catalogs list two varieties for the DO 1849 CM 2 Reales: (1) a Normal Date and CM/RM OverAssayer (2) a Normal Date and Normal Assayer, but our single study coin, FoxLair Variety 2R-Do-1849-1101, has an unlisted 4/3 OverDate and a C/R only OverAssayer that uses a Paris Style Type E Eagle.
The Durango DO 1851 JMR 2 Reales is currently listed as a single variety; a Normal Date and JMR/RL OverAssayer. This is really an illogical overassayer indicating the reuse of a very early Paris Style die that originally was made with Assayer RL initials. While this is possible I guess, my single horrible study coin doesn’t seem to bear this out. In my humble opinion the attribution for FoxLair Variety 2R-Do-1851-1101 is a Normal Date and Normal Assayer that uses a Paris Style Type E Eagle.
FoxLair Variety 2R-Do-1851-1101 Normal Date & Unlisted Normal Assayer
The only variety listed for the DO 1858 CP 2 Reales is a Normal Date and Normal Assayer coin, which I agree with as my only study coin is this variety. However, the current pricing catalogs don’t mention the old Paris Style dies are no longer being used to make Durango 2 Reales. Presently I don’t know if this style change occurred in 1856 or 1858 (there are supposedly not any Durango 2 Reales dated 1857) because I have had no study coins from 1856. In most other denominations of Durango coinage this style change didn’t occur until 1857, but at this time I can only guess when it happened on the 2 Reales. Nonetheless here are scans of the new Durango Facing Eagle Style dies found on FoxLair Variety 2R-Do-1858-1101.
Estado de Mexico Mint: Today’s coin-pricing catalogs indicate the single 2 Reales DAM from this mint to be an extreme rarity, and they are correct, especially in grades of Fine or better. Even though I can’t fault the attributions found in these catalogs, I thought it might be of value for our readers to see scans of one of these extremely rare coins. Here then is FoxLair Variety 2R-Eo-1828-1101, a Normal Date and Normal Assayer coin.
FoxLair Variety 2R-Eo-1828-1101 Normal Date & Normal Assayer
This looks like a good place to break off our initial study of the unlisted varieties of the Mexican Republic 2 Reales, I don’t want you to become so bored you fall a sleep. If you would like us to continue publishing more information about the Cap & Ray 2 Reales let us know because we have many more unlisted varieties in the FoxLair Republican 2 Reales Reference Collection. But if we don’t get any positive responses we’ll shelve the 2 Reales and go on to other things readers have asked for. And by the way, if you have any high-grade 2 Reales you would like to share with us and the rest of the Mexican Numismatic World please contact us. Because as you can plainly see, we sure could use them, because more than a few of our study coins are rather ragged looking low-grade specimens.
Until next time happy hunting!
References and Sources
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