Silver coinage of Ferdinand VI

By A. F. Pradeau

The silver coinage is the same as the last type of the previous reign. Because of the large number of spurious macuquina coins in circulation, the viceroy, on 2 December 1751, suggested to the crown the gathering and retirement from general circulation of all clipped specimens^{In order to avoid difficulties, the government of New Spain had collected from 1732 to 1751, seventeen hundred and seventy-one marks of Peruvian coinage. During December 1751, this was melted and recoined in the Mexico City mint, and from it $15,058.94 in coins of New Spain were obtained}.

Apparently this suggestion remained unheeded until 18 March 1761, when by royal decree the old types of colonial coins were ordered gathered and retired from circulation. This decree was not enforced until 8 April 1772, at which time, by order of Viceroy Bucareli, it was made known in New Spain by the usual town cryer method^{Historia Real de Hacienda, Vol. I.}/

A similar order was issued by Charles III, 29 May 1772.

Half real

KM-67.2 ½r 1760/59 Mo MM (Stack’s Bowers auction, 22 October 2025, lot 72415)

One real

KM-76.1 1r 1747 Mo M (Stack’s Bowers auction, 24 February 2026, lot 76421)
 

Two reales

 
KM-86.1 2r 1747 Mo M (Stack’s Bowers auction, 24 February 2026, lot 76409)

Four reales

 
KM-95 4r 1747 Mo MF (Stack’s Bowers auction, 26 August 2022, lot 34158)

KM-95 4r 1755 Mo MM (Stack’s Bowers NYINC auction, 15 January 2022, lot 2078)

Eight reales

KM-103 8r 1747/6 Mo MF (Stack’s Bowers auction, 29 October 2024, lot 72357)

A very rare overdate, difficult to see, on this posthumous issue of Philip V. 

KM-104.1 8r 1751 Mo MF (Stack’s Bowers auction, 17 August 2024, lot 44152)

KM-104.2 8r 1759 Mo MM (Stack’s Bowers NYINC auction, 15 January 2022, lot 2292)