1760 Florida Proclamation 4 Reales - Struck

Coin Details

Auction Record

$230,000 • XF40 NGC • 01-2006 • Stack's Bowers

Description

Unique among American colonial coins, this struck 1760 Florida Proclamation 4 Reales is the only confirmed die-struck example of a piece commissioned by Juan Estevan de Pena, royal treasurer of Spanish Florida, to celebrate Charles III's accession to the Spanish throne. The obverse features an armored bust of Charles III; the reverse depicts a rose in full bloom. Cataloged as Herrera-56, Betts 454, Breen 1078, Grove K-21, and Rulau E-Fla-1, this piece is one of the greatest rarities in American colonial numismatics. Most surviving Proclamation pieces are cast rather than struck, making this die-struck specimen extraordinary. The historical context places it in the final years of the First Spanish Period of Florida (1565-1763), three years before Spain ceded Florida to Britain under the Treaty of Paris. The 4 Reales denomination follows the Spanish colonial monetary system. As the sole confirmed struck specimen, this Florida Proclamation piece occupies a singular position at the intersection of Spanish colonial governance and early American numismatics.

Rarity Notes

Unique. One of the greatest rarities in all of American colonial numismatics.

Cross References

Herrera-56, Betts 454, Breen 1078, Grove K-21, Rulau E-Fla-1