Silver coinage of Charles IV

Quarter real

KM-62 ¼ r 1796 (Stack’s Bowers NYINC auction, 12 January 2024, lot 51267)

Variety with close digits

KM-62 ¼r 1799/8 Mo (Stack’s Bowers auction, 25 June 2026 lot 70471)

KM-62 ¼r 1800/799 Mo (Stack’s Bowers NYINC auction, 12 January 2024, lot 51274)

KM-62 ¼r 1808/7 Mo (Stack’s Bowers auction, 25 June 2026 lot 70479)

Stack’s Bowers writes “Upon close inspection of the date, there appears to be reworking of the second and fourth digit of the date. Based on diagnostics laid out in A Variety Guide to the Silver and Copper Coinage of the Mexico City Mint 1772-1821 by Brad Yonaka, this example is an 1808 over 7 and is unlisted in most reference material. According to the author, he documented one die pair with only six examples observed. The clearest characteristic is in the upper right quadrant of the "8" where a bulge is seen indicating an "8/7".

Half real

The bust of Charles III was used 1789-90 but with the ordinal of the new king, Charles IV. Two varieties exist for 1790; one with the obverse legend "CAROLUS IV" and one with "CAROLUS IIII."

KM-70 ½r 1790 Mo FM (Ponterio Baltimore auction, 15 November 2011, lot 20139)

KM-71 ½r 1790 Mo FM

From 1792 the coins carried a bust of Charles IV.

KM-72 ½r 1799 Mo FM (Stack’s Bowers auction, 17 August 2024, lot 44420)

Counterfeit

Counterfeit KM-72 ½r 1083 Mo FT (Briggs & Bustos auction of counterfeit issues, 12 February 2025, lot 8)

Of irreverent date and reading the assayer FT, it can be concluded that the intention of the counterfeiter was to date it 1803. As for the bust, it would have to be thoroughly meditated because it could even be a more aesthetic and expressive engraving. As for the coat of arms, the lions are less detailed and the castles even more so. The typography in periphery is more careless and even re-engraved in certain sectors, the planchet presents some irregularities as for form and the colonial cordoncillo edge, although something diverse. 1.56 grams and diameter of 16.5 millimeters, struck piece. Metallic composition: 0.839 silver, 0.154 copper, 0.004 zinc and 0.002 gold.

One real

The first issue was a transition issue with the legend "CAROLUS IV" and the bust of Charles III.

KM-79 1r 1789-FM (Stack’s Bowers auction, 7 August 2017, lot 22757)

In 1790 there was a variety with "CAROLUS IIII" in the legend and the bust of Charles III.

KM-80 1r 1790 Mo FM (Stack’s Bowers auction, 24 February 2026, lot 76609)

From 1792 the coins carried the bust of Charles IV.

KM-81 1r 1805 Mo TH (Stack’s Bowers NYINC auction, 23 January 2025, lot 39168)

 
KM-81 1r 1808/7 Mo TH (Stack’s Bowers auction, 25 February 2021, lot 74071)

Two reales 

The first issue was a transition with the legend "CAROLUS IV" and the bust of Charles III.

KM-89 2r 1790-FM (Stack’s Bowers auction, 7 August 2017, lot 22742)

A second ransitional issue had the legend "CAROLUS IIII" and the bust of Charles III.

KM-90 2r 1790 Mo FM (Stack’s Bowers auction, 7 August 2017, lot 22743)

From 1792 the coins carried the bust of Charles IV.

KM-91 2r 1800 Mo FM (Stack’s Bowers auction, 13 February 2019, lot 71010)

Counterfeit

counterfeit KM-91 2r 1807 MP JGPF (Briggs & Bustos auction of counterfeit issues, 12 February 2025, lot 9)

Struck in brass, thin module 28 millimeters in diameter. An irreverent bust engraving and controversial legends; on the obverse the king's name with ordinal II instead of IV and on the reverse the error H(I)SPAN, indecipherable initials in the position of the mint and assayer, plain edge and perfectly round planchet, possibly a manufacture from the second half of the 19th century. 

Four reales

KM-98 4r 1789 Mo FM (Stack’s Bowers auction, 14 November 2022, lot 71721)

One-year variety with the monarch's ordinal in the unusual notation "IIII".

KM-99 4r 1790 Mo FM (Stack’s Bowers auction, 14 November 2022, lot 71722)

KM-100 4r 1801 Mo FT (Stack’s Bowers auction, 24 February 2026, lot 76594)

KM-100 4r 1794/3 Mo FM (Stack’s Bowers auction, 24 February 2026, lot 76585)

KM-100 4r 1808/7 Mo TH (Stack’s Bowers auction, 17 August 2024, lot 44419)

slight overdate noted

Eight reales

variety featuring the portrait of Charles III with the name of Charles IV in the legends.

KM-107 8r 1789 Mo FM (Stack’s Bowers auction, 26 August 2025, lot 41330)

Counterfeit

counterfeit KM-107 8r 1789 Mo FM (Briggs & Bustos auction of counterfeit issues, 12 February 2025, lot 10)

Curious counterfeit struck on a planchet with a high silver content, although slightly underweight at 25.82 grams. Singular execution and engraving, milled edge. Elusive for emulating a transitional specimen with a bust of Charles III and ordinal “IV”. Metallic composition: 0.917 silver, 0.080 copper and 0.001 lead.

Variety with "IIII" as ordinal number.  

KM-108 8r 1790 Mo FM (Stack’s Bowers auction, 25 June 2026, lot 74060)

KM-109 8r 1791 Mo FM (Stack’s Bowers ANA auction, 20 August 2021, lot 41160)

KM-109 8r 1795/4 Mo TH (Stack’s Bowers NYINC auction, 19 January 2023, lot 42596)


KM-109 8r 1801/0 Mo FM (Stack’s Bowers auction, 29 October 2024, lot 72472)


KM-109 8r 1802/1 Mo FT (Stack’s Bowers auction, 22 April 2024, lot 49309)


KM-109 8r 1803 Mo FT/FM (Stack’s Bowers auction, 29 October 2024, lot 72479)

The over-assayer appears as a slight remnant at the foot of the "T".

KM-109 8r 1805/4 Mo TH (Stack’s Bowers auction, 16 May 2025, lot 76403)

Counterfeits 

counterfeit KM-109 8r 1793 Mo FM (Stack’s Bowers auction, 19 April 2026, lot 47943)

Weight: 27.49 gms.

 counterfeit KM-109 8r 1803 Mo FM (Stack’s Bowers ANA auction, 7 August 2017, lot 22733)

counterfeit KM-109 8r 1803 Mo FM (Stack’s Bowers NYINC auction, January 2014, lot 1371)

A very interesting and quite convincing contemporary counterfeit of near proper style. A sole genuine example of the 1803-FM 8 Reales first surfaced in the 1981 Money Company auction as lot #534. This discovery puzzled numismatists at the time, as the assayer's initials were previously unknown for this date. The existence of coins dated 1802 and 1803 with the assayer letter FF over FM further complicated the issue, giving reason for such a coin to exist. The Money Company example was tested in the 1990s for metal contents as well as using digital overlays to confirm the die style as genuine. This second example is of a different die paring, slightly light in weight at 26.53 gms. Further tests were conducted on this piece using specific gravity and XRF testing showing the metal purity to be just over 72% fine with traces of copper, nickel, zinc and lead (thus confirming it a contemporary forgery).

counterfeit KM-109 8r 1804 Mo FM (Briggs & Bustos auction of counterfeit issues, 12 February 2025, lot 11)

Struck on a low-silver planchet, 39-40 millimeters in diameter, 27.09 grams. Identical to the specimen reported by Gurney (1804-O: E/R: Mo FM.001) attributed to Birmingham. Bust of Carlos IV slightly elongated, date with numeral 0 resembling an "O" and slight retouches on other numerals, good execution, edge design of squares and rectangles. Metal composition: 0.7075 Silver, 0.2800 Copper, 0.0096 Iridium, 0.0029 Lead.

counterfeit KM-103 8r 1805 Mo TH (Briggs & Bustos auction of counterfeit issues, 12 February 2025, lot 12)

Struck on a low-silver planchet, 39-40 millimeters in diameter, 28.70 grams. Effigy of Carlos IV with slightly exaggerated features, crude legends, irregular planchet edges, well-executed colonial circle and square edge design, not reported by Gurney. Metal composition: 0.7271 Silver, 0.2647 Copper, 0.0022 Zinc, 0.0019 Iridium, 0.0018 Gold, 0.0012 Lead, 0.0010 Iron.

counterfeit KM-109 8r 1805 Mo TH (Briggs & Bustos auction of counterfeit issues, 12 February 2025, lot 13)

Silver cast, 39.5 millimeters in diameter, 22.15 grams. Crude casting, design losses in the centers, edge with an atypical design formed by a kind of squares. Metallic composition: 0.5309 Copper, 0.4480 Silver, 0.0176 Zinc, 0.0034 Lead.

counterfeit KM-109 8r 1807 Mo TH (Stack’s Bowers auction, 19 April 2026, lot 47944)

Weight: 26.41 gms.

counterfeit KM-109 8r 1870 Mo FM (Briggs & Bustos auction of counterfeit issues, 12 February 2025, lot 14)

Struck on brass planchet silver, 41 millimeters diameter, 26.72 grams. Reported by Gurney (1870-O: B/R: Mo FM.002), very similar in design to the official issue except for the 1870 date, possibly originally intended to be engraved 1807, either way, FM assayer initials are erroneous, colonial design on edge. Metal composition: 0.6175 copper, 0.2696 zinc, 0.1074 nickel, 0.0034 lead, 0.0013 iron, 0.0007 cobalt.