1760 Florida Proclamation 4 Reales - Cast

Coin Details

Auction Record

$109,250 • XF40 NGC • 08-2018 • Heritage Auctions

Description

Among the rarest colonial-era numismatic survivors, the cast version of the 1760 Florida Proclamation 4 Reales was produced by pouring molten silver into a prepared mold rather than striking between dies. Cast specimens exhibit characteristically softer detail throughout the design, more irregular edges where metal flowed against the mold walls, and evidence of casting bubbles or surface porosity — telltale signs that distinguish them from their struck counterparts under even modest magnification. Benjamin Betts published an illustration of a cast example in his landmark 1898 work on American colonial coinage, establishing early scholarly documentation of this production method. Cataloged as Herrera-56 (cast), Betts 454 (cast), and Breen 1078 (cast), these cross-references span three major reference systems, underscoring the piece's importance to colonial numismatics despite its extreme rarity. The Florida Proclamation coinage circulated during the British and Spanish colonial periods in Florida, where official coinage from European mints was supplemented by locally produced pieces to address chronic shortages of circulating currency. With a rarity rating of R.8+ and only 2-3 confirmed cast specimens known to survive, this issue stands at the highest tier of colonial American rarity. Collectors of pre-federal coinage regard cast examples as essential documentation of alternative minting techniques employed in the colonial Americas, where access to screw presses and proper striking equipment was limited and casting offered a practical if imprecise alternative for producing monetary instruments.

Rarity Notes

R.8+. Only 2-3 confirmed cast specimens known.

Cross References

Herrera-56 (cast), Betts 454 (cast), Breen 1078 (cast)