Escudos Advice

[8ace]

Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone has any advice on Spanish 2 Escudos coins? there seems a big difference in stamping quality which I assume is down to the more manual process back then.

Are there and things (visual) that I need to look out for?

Thanks in advance

8ace

[CollectForFun]

Hi,

Which 2 escudos coin are we talking about please? A gold coin with this denomination was produced over the span of 3 centuries and like 12 or so emperors, so it may be worth adding a few more details about the coin in question. The coin strike techniques were certainly different in the 16th and 19th century 🙂   

[dicker]

I was going to let this topic run a little before I replied.  
m

However if your interest is as narrow as mine and you are interested in Escudos minted (hammered) in the New World then “The Practical Book Cobs” by Sedwick and Sedwick is very good - hard to find in the U.K. though…..

 

[8ace]

Sorry, yes you're right... A very poorly worded question to ask. 

I was looking at the Spanish Gold 2 Escudos coin around 1750-1850. Looking at the reasonably priced ones around it'll be Carlos IV or Fernando VII. 

 

 

[Leonmarsh]

12 hours ago, 8ace said:

Sorry, yes you're right... A very poorly worded question to ask. 

I was looking at the Spanish Gold 2 Escudos coin around 1750-1850. Looking at the reasonably priced ones around it'll be Carlos IV or Fernando VII. 

 

 

They were heavily circulated trade coins being used all over the globe for commerce so hard to find really really nice examples 

@DuncanWylieWilson also knows his onions with this kind of thing you never know he may even have one 

Buy off a recognised like Duncan or others as they were heavily  faked too 

[CollectForFun]

On 19/08/2023 at 12:52, 8ace said:

I was looking at the Spanish Gold 2 Escudos coin around 1750-1850. Looking at the reasonably priced ones around it'll be Carlos IV or Fernando VII. 

As with any numismatic coin, it's probably best to set your budget and then see what condition you can get for that money. The prices may hugely wary depending on the condition, year and mint.

For the start, you may check what's on offer on MA-Shops - The World's Most Trusted Numismatic Marketplace, where you will see listings of many smaller coin shops from all over the world, but mostly Europe. The prices tend to be on the higher side over there, but still you can find a fairly priced coin sometimes.

However, it's probably better if you do not purchase from a non-UK seller, unless you really like the coin and are happy to pay VAT, as this coin is .875 gold and therefore would not meet conditions for VAT exempt investment gold, even if it was an after-1800 coin.

As regards the stamping quality, I would assume with coin of this age it's more about the wear it accumulated over those years, than any stamping imperfections. Many of the coins would be stamped slightly off-center and some may even be adjusted (parallel lines across the coin to remove excessive material from the coin blank in order to reduce the weight to the specified level). Personally, I don't mind slight off-center strike as long as it does not cause some detail to be missing on the coin.

Let us know if you find something you like or were unsure if you should go for a coin you find - it's quite refreshing to be able to discuss about some other old coins than just the sovereigns 🙂

[8ace]

Many thanks for the information. I didn't think about the importation problems of lower purity Gold. On the government list of accepted coins is the 2 Escudos. 

I also fell down the 8 Reales coin rabbit hole, so much research is needed. 

My priority for collecting is nearest spot bullion for long term storage, but some interesting items show up occasionally. 

 

[CollectForFun]

The gold content of 2 escudos varied over all those years. 2 escudos of Isabel II were .900 gold again so presumably that is the coin which the list refers to.