Silver Coinage of Charles III
The silver coinage falls into two types. The Pillar type, coined until April 1772, is of the same type as that of the previous reigns. These are detailed below.
The Bust or Portrait type shows the laureated head of Charles III, facing right, draped and cuirassed in Roman style; around the margin . CAROLUS . I l l . DEI GRATIA.; the date appears in exergue. The reverse bears the crowned arms of Spain but in a less ornate shield, between two pillars, each entwined with a ribbon bearing the motto PLUS ULTRA; on the margin, HISPAN . ET IND . R E X .; the mint mark; value, and assayers' initials. These pieces are in the usual five denominations. The head type pieces were a trifle larger in diameter, but the eight reales coins were reduced to the previous size after the second year. The edge, instead of the elaborate floral pattern, now has a design of squares and annulets.
The silver Bust or Portrait styles coins are detailed here.
The following listings (½r to 4r) are from Brad Yonaka's A Variety Guide to the Fractional Pillage Coinage of Mexico City 1732-1771.
Half real
For further information on Brad Yonaka's classification of the half reales see here.
KM-68 ½r 1763 Mo M (Stack’s Bowers ANA auction, 24 February 2026, lot 76477)
| Date | Asssayer | Comment |
| 1760 | M | |
| 1760 | M | damage and possible repair of die in the area of the date, giving appearance of clashed dies |
| 1760/59 | M | |
| 1761 | M | early style imperial crown on left pillar |
| 1761 | M | late style imperial crown on left pillar |
| 1761/0 | M | |
| 1762 | M | |
| 1762 | M | both A and V of reverse legend intrude pillar crowns. A possible reason for this is that the whole design was pushed inward to accomodate wider denticles. Large 2 used for date punch (illustrated below) |
| 1762/1 | M | |
| 1763 | M | |
| 1763 | M | A intrudes left pillar crown |
| 1763 | M | both A and V intrude pillar crowns |
| 1763/2 | M | |
| 1764 | M | |
| 1764 | M | no pellet before CAR |
| 1765 | M | |
| 1765 | M | no pellet before CAR |
| 1765/4 | M | no pellet before CAR |
| 1766 | M | |
| 1767 | M | |
| 1767 | M | rosettes rather than cinquefoils left and right of shield. One example observed |
| 1768 | M | |
| 1768/7 | M | |
| 1769 | M | |
| 1770 | M | |
| 1770 | F | |
| 1771 | F |
KM-68 ½r 1762 Mo M (Stack’s Bowers ANA auction, 21 August 2018, lot 23243)
Variety with A and V intruding on lateral crowns.
One real
KM-77 1r 1761/0 Mo M (Stack’s Bowers auction, 27 June 2019, lot 71748)
| Date | Asssayer | Comment |
| 1760 | M | |
| 1761 | M | |
| 1761 | M | plain crosses rather than cinquefoils bracketing R and 1. This is the start of a three year period that sees gradual transition from cinquefiols to plain crosses |
| 1761/0 | M | |
| 1762 | M | |
| 1762 | M | cinquefoils bracketing R and 1 |
| 1762/1 | M | |
| 1763 | M | illustrated below |
| 1763 | M | cinquefoils bracketing R and 1 |
| 1763/2 | M | |
| 1763/2 | M | cinquefoils bracketing R and 1 |
| 1764 | M | |
| 1764 | M | unusually bold repunching of 6 digit in date |
| 1765 | M | |
| 1766 | M | |
| 1767 | M | |
| 1767 | M | o of mintmark broken along top |
| 1767 | M | cross above 1 missing lowest line |
| 1768 | M | |
| 1768 | M | o of mintmark broken along top |
| 1768 | M | cross above 1 missing lowest line |
| 1768/7 | M | |
| 1769 | M | |
| 1769 | M | o of mintmark broken along top |
| 1769/8 | M | |
| 1769/70 | M | die fully prepared for 1770 backdated to 1769 |
| 1769 | M | unusual reverse decade overdate. appears to be a 6 punched over 7 |
| 1770 | M | |
| 1770 | F | |
| 1771 | F | |
| 1771 | F | the plain crosses above and below R and 1 are replaced by what appears to be plain crosses overpunched by cinquefoils |
KM-77 1r 1763 Mo M (Stack’s Bowers ANA auction, 16 August 2018, lot 21342)
Large 3 in date, "o" above "M" of mintmark repunched.
Two reales
KM-87 2r 1761 Mo M (Stack’s Bowers auction, 16 January 2012, lot 22048)
| Date | Asssayer | Comment |
| 1760 | M | |
| 1760 | M | appears to be inverted, then corrected, A in CAR. Another explanation is that it is a remnant of a CAR/FRD over-king |
| 1761 | M | |
| 1761/0 | M | |
| 1762 | M | |
| 1762 | M | date with large 2 |
| 1762/1 | M | |
| 1763 | M | |
| 1763/2 | M | illustrated below |
| 1764 | M | |
| 1764 | M | VTRA has inverted A for V |
| 1765 | M | |
| 1766 | M | |
| 1767 | M | |
| 1768 | M | |
| 1768/6 | M | illustrated below |
| 1769 | M | |
| 1770 | M | |
| 1771 | F |
M-87 2r 1763/2 Mo M (Stack’s Bowers auction, 24 February 2026, lot 76466)
KM-87 2r 1768/6 Mo M (Stack’s Bowers auction, 24 February 2026, lot 76471)
Four reales
KM-96 4r 1761 Mo MM (Stack’s Bowers auction, 24 February 2026, lot 76456)
Variety with cross between "I" and "S".
| Date | Asssayer | Comment |
| 1760 | MM | cross between HI and SP |
| 1761 | MM | cross between HI and SP. standard design for CAROLVS III but with new central support on imperial crown of left pillar |
| 1761 | MM | cross between H and I |
| 1761 | MM | cross between HI and SP. old central support |
| 1761 | MM | cross between H and I. old central support |
| 1762 | MM | cross between H and I, which is part of the standard design from this date onwards. New change for 1762 is prominent stippling on oceans of globes, which is also part of the standard design from this date onwards. |
| 1762 | MM | large 2 in date, appears to have been borrowed from an 8r punch set |
| 1762 | MM | old central support on imperial crown |
| 1763 | MM | |
| 1763 | MM | old central support on imperial crown |
| 1763/1 | MM | illustrated below |
| 1764 | MM | |
| 1764 | MM | old central support on imperial crown |
| 1765 | MF | |
| 1766 | MF | |
| 1767 | MF | |
| 1767 | MF | royal crown on right pillar with lower arc and resting directly on top of pillar |
| 1768 | MF | |
| 1769 | MF | |
| 1770 | MF | |
| 1770 | MF | royal crown on right pillar with lower arc and resting directly on top of pillar |
| 1771 | MF |
KM-96 4r 1763/1 Mo MM (Stack’s Bowers auction, 14 November 2022, lot 71706)
A distinct vertical line is visible beneath the final digit of the date, confirming this is the scarce overdate variety.
Eight reales
KM-105 8r 1764 Mo MF (Stack’s Bowers auction, 25 June 2025, lot 33499)
| Date | Asssayer | Comment |
| 1760 | MM | tip of cross between HI and SP |
| 1761 | MM | tip of cross between HI and SP, illustrated below |
| 1761 | MM | tip of cross between H and I, illustrated below |
| 1761/0 | MM | illustrated below |
| 1762 | MF | tip of cross between H and I |
| 1762 | MF | |
| 1762/1 | MF | tip of cross between H and I |
| 1763 | MM | |
| 1763/2 | MM | illustrated below |
| 1763 | MF | |
| 1763/1 | MF | |
| 1763/2 | MF | |
| 1764 | MF | |
| 1764/3 | MF | |
| 1765 | MF | |
| 1766 | MF | |
| 1766/5 | MF | illustrated below |
| 1767 | MF | |
| 1767/6 | MF | |
| 1768 | MF | |
| 1768/6 | MF | illustrated below |
| 1769 | MF | |
| 1770 | MF | |
| 1770/60 | MF | decade digit overdate |
| 1771 | MF |
KM-105 8r 1761 Mo MM (Stack’s Bowers auction, 22 April 2023, lot 44037)
Variety with cross between "H" and "I".
KM-105 8r 1761 Mo MM (Stack’s Bowers auction, 15 August 2016, lot 22698)
Variety with cross between "I" and "S".
KM-105 8r 1761/0 Mo MM (Stack’s Bowers auction, 17 August 2024, lot 44159)
Variety with cross between "I" and "S".
KM-105 8r 1763/2 Mo MF (Stack’s Bowers auction, 26 August 2025, lot 41319)
KM-105 8r 1766/5 Mo MF (Stack’s Bowers auction, 17 August 2024, lot 44166)
KM-105 8r 1768/6 Mo MF (Stack’s Bowers auction, 17 August 2024, lot 44167)