This is an assayer G coin acquired in a recent sale. This one is the work of Juan Gutierrez who oversaw the transition from the so-called early to late series coins by adding waves under the Pillars of Hercules, the hallmark adornment of late series coins. This coin is identified as early series due to the lack of waves under the Pillars.
Juan Gutierrez was the 4th and last of 4 assayers in the early series of coins from the first Mint in Mexico City. He followed the third assayer Francisco de Loaiza.
The first coins struck in the New World were made at the initial Mexico City Mint which was located in the home of Spanish conquistador of Mexico Hernan Cortes. This was ~49 years after Columbus landed in the New World in 1492. Cortes conquered Mexico in 1519 by defeating Aztec Emperor Moctezuma Xocoyotzin. This was the early precursor of U.S. coinage.
As always, let me know your thoughts on the coin.
Early 1 Real Coin Struck in the New World
MEXICO, Colonial. Juana y Carlos. Queen & King of Spain, 1506-1516. AR 1 Real (3.21 g). Early series. Mexico City mint; Juan Gutierrez, assayer. Struck 1541-1542. Crowned coat-of-arms / Crowned Pillars of Hercules; PLVS in rhomboid with 6 anulets. Calico-61. PCGS F15. Charles & Johanna Real ND M-G. Much sharpness for the assigned grade. From the JBR Collection.
IN NECESSARIIS UNITAS - IN DUBIIS LIBERTAS - IN OMNIBUS CARITAS
THE MAN IN THE ARENA, Theodore Roosevelt at the Sorbonne Paris on April 23, 1910: "
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
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Posted 08/21/2025 11:17 pm
