Philip IV 50 Reales (Cinquentin) 1636 (Aqueduct)-R AU53 NGC, Segovia mint, KM81.5 (Rare; 6-8 known), Dav-LS567, Cal-246 (Extremely Rare), Cay-6591. 171.64gm. Rafael Savan as assayer. An absolutely exceptional coin in all regards, and undoubtedly one of the unmistakable 'gems' of the Spanish numismatic series, the cinquentin or cinquenta was the largest coin ever struck by the Spanish crown, with perhaps as few as a few hundred or so examples known for all dates produced during the 17th century. Purportedly struck to satisfy the needs of rich Sevillian merchants seeking to present very large quantities of silver to the mint--presumably originating from the famous mine at Potosi--all at once, these imposing coins likely served more as presentation pieces than specie readily exchangeable in circulation, with the emissions from 1620, for instance, known to have been struck for Luis Jeronimo Fernandez de Cabrera y Bobadilla, Count of Chinchon and Pedro Messia, forbearer of the Marquises Dynasty. Of the supposedly 6-8 known reported by the Standard Catalog of World Coins, we know of only 3 coming to auction, one in Spink-Glendining's November 1974 Sale (lot 861), one from David Akers sale of the John J. Pittman Collection, Part 3 (August 1999, lot 4509), and most recently one sold by Noble Numismatics in their Auction 102 (April 2013, Lot 3798). Presently the sole certified example, the specimen on offer here displays wonderful detail to the design, the surfaces an even graphite with slightly muted luster, and only the lightest signs of die stress for a piece that would have required a state-of-the-art hydraulic press to mint--technology that only really existed west of the Rhine in Segovia. Quite simply, an unmissable opportunity to obtain one of the rarest dates in the series. From the Amsterdam Collection

HID09801242017

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