Item number: A1694

Year: AD 1572-1773

Material: Silver

Size: 12.1 x 11.2 mm

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2014

This is a silver coin, possibly minted in the Spanish American colonies between the 16th and 18th centuries. At the time, the principal colonial mints were located in Puerto Rico, Potosí, Mexico City, and Lima.

On the obverse side of the coin, there appears to be a faintly discernible letter “P,” which, if genuine, may represent the monogram used under the reigns of Philip I to Philip V. Additionally, the edge of the obverse displays porous, pitted erosion, a feature commonly observed in coins recovered from shipwrecks, suggesting a possible maritime origin. The reverse side of the coin features a cross, which, during the 16th to 18th centuries, was typically employed to divide the heraldic emblems of Castile and León, forming a small coat of arms. By examining the relative length of the cross arms, it can be inferred that the denomination of this coin is likely small, possibly a half-real or one-real piece.

Macuquinas, also known as cobs, were produced by hand striking in Spanish America between the 16th and 18th centuries. In the 16th century, numerous silver mines were discovered, necessitating the urgent transport of silver to the Spanish mainland. However, shipping capacity was insufficient. Beginning with the reign of Philip II, colonial mints were formally authorised to mint these silver coins. Unlike European practices, which involved rolling silver into thin sheets and then cutting it into circular planchets, colonial mints simply sliced chunks of silver bars to the required weight and stamped the designs directly onto these irregularly shaped planchets. If the estimated weight proved inaccurate, the coin’s edges could be trimmed accordingly.

This production process often resulted in visible cracks when the silver bar exhibited irregularities. Additionally, the manual cutting and subsequent adjustments to achieve the desired weight contributed to the coin’s irregular appearance. The primary purpose of these cobs was to facilitate the colonial taxation process while simultaneously providing a convenient medium for local monetary circulation and international trade. Consequently, a significant number of these coins found their way into East Asian markets, where silver was predominantly valued by weight. In the course of circulation, these coins were frequently clipped further to adjust their weight for transactions.

Most cobs were ultimately transported back to Spain, where they were typically melted down and re-minted into higher-quality coinage or repurposed into jewellery and other luxury items. The transportation process, however, was fraught with peril, as Spanish treasure fleets were often targeted by privateers and suffered substantial losses due to maritime disasters. Consequently, many such coins are now recovered from sunken shipwrecks.

物件編號: A1694

年代: 公元 1572-1773 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 12.1 x 11.2 mm

來源: 大城郵幣社 2014

這是一枚可能於公元16至18世紀，於西屬美洲殖民地鑄造的粗造銀幣。當時美洲的鑄幣廠有波多黎各、波托西、墨西哥、利馬等。

銀幣的正面隱約有一個大字「P」，若屬實，則可能是菲利普一世至菲利普五世之花押。銀幣正面的邊緣出現了細孔狀的侵蝕痕跡，這在從沈船打撈出的銀幣上很常見，暗示了其來源。銀幣的背面為一十字，於公元16至18世紀，銀幣的背面通常用十字分隔卡斯提爾與里昂的紋章，形成一個小盾徽。而觀察十字臂長的相對比例，此枚銀幣之面額應不大，可能為半里爾或1里爾。

粗造硬幣(macuquinas/cobs)是指公元16至18世紀其間，於西屬美洲以手工錘壓製成的硬幣。公元16世紀，諸多銀礦被發現，亟待運回本土，但運力不足。從菲利普二世統治時期開始，正式允許美洲鑄幣廠鑄造粗造銀幣。鑄幣廠不再將銀條軋成金屬片再切割為圓形，而是將整條粗銀塊切下適當重量的切片，然後直接在切片上壓印。若重量估計錯誤，也可簡單的剪去邊緣以調整重量。在這樣的製作過程下，粗銀塊條若是不均勻，很容易形成裂痕，切割銀坯與調整重量的過程也容易形成不規則的外觀。粗造硬幣的鑄造是為了方便殖民地的稅務計算，以及本地貨幣流通與貿易，許多銀幣也因此流入東亞。在美洲本地以及東亞的貿易中，銀幣有強烈稱量貨幣的性質，使用中可能會再度遭到剪切。大多數粗製硬幣會運回西班牙本土，重新熔鑄成高品質的貨幣或珠寶等。運送的過程中經常被劫掠，因此也經常於沈船打撈中發現。