Silver coinage of Ferdinand VI
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 specimensIn 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 methodHistoria Real de Hacienda, Vol. I./
A similar order was issued by Charles III, 29 May 1772.
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-67.1 ½r 1749/8/7 M (Stack’s Bowers auction, 7 August 2017, lot 22715)
| Date | Asssayer | Comment |
| 1747 | M | |
| 1747/6 | M | also an apparent extra pellet after R in obverse legend, a possible misplaced R for E in ET, and repunched S in HISP |
| 1748 | M | |
| 1748 | M | no pellet between date and assayer initial |
| 1748/7 | M | |
| 1749 | M | |
| 1749/8/7 | M | additional to Yonaka. illustrated below |
| 1750 | M | |
| 1750 | M | prominent knobs on pillar crowns |
| 1751 | M | |
| 1752 | M | |
| 1753 | M | |
| 1753 | M | no pellet between VI and D on obverse legend |
| 1753/2 | M | |
| 1754 | M | |
| 1754/3 | M | |
| 1755 | M | |
| 1755/4 | M | |
| 1755/6 | M | reverse overdate |
| 1756 | M | |
| 1757 | M | |
| 1757/6 | M | |
| 1757/47 | M |
KM-67.1 ½r 1749/8/7 M (Stack’s Bowers auction, 7 August 2017, lot 22715)
In 1757 the standard design was altered to include an imperial crown on top of the left pillar.
KM-67.2 ½r 1759 Mo M (Stack’s Bowers auction, 16 May 2023, lot 70057)
| Date | Asssayer | Comment |
| 1757 | M | |
| 1758 | M | |
| 1758/7 | M | |
| 1759 | M | since Ferdinand VI died in August of 1759 many of the strikes this year are posthumous |
| 1760 | M | |
| 1760/59 | M | addition to Yonaka, illustrated below |
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)
| Date | Asssayer | Comment |
| 1747 | M | |
| 1748 | M | |
| 1748 | M | FRD/PHS over-king. Letter P apparent under F, and trace of S below D |
| 1748/5 | M | illustrated below |
| 1748/7 | M | |
| 1748/7 | M | FRD/PHS over-king. Letter P apparent under F, and trace of S below D |
| 1749 | M | |
| 1750 | M | |
| 1750/40 | M | |
| 1750/49 | M | |
| 1751 | M | |
| 1751 | M | 'unbarred' H punch, giving the appearance of IIISP |
| 1751/41 | M | |
| 1752 | M | |
| 1752 | M | unbarred' H punch, giving the appearance of IIISP |
| 1752/42 | M | |
| 1753 | M | |
| 1754 | M | |
| 1754/3 | M | |
| 1755 | M | |
| 1756 | M | |
| 1757 | M | |
| 1757/6 | M | |
| 1758 | M | |
| 1758/7 | M |
KM-76.1 ½r 1748/45 Mo M (Stack’s Bowers auction, 15 August 2016, lot 22687)
In 1758 an imperial crown replaced the royal crown on top of the left pillar.
KM-76.2 1r 1759 M Mo
| Date | Asssayer | Comment |
| 1757 | M | |
| 1758 | M | |
| 1758/7 | M | |
| 1759 | M | |
| 1759/8 | M | |
| 1760 | M |
Two reales
KM-86.1 2r 1747 Mo M (Stack’s Bowers auction, 24 February 2026, lot 76409)
| Date | Asssayer | Comment |
| 1747 | M | |
| 1747 | M | pellets replacing cinquefoils at beginning and end of obverse legend |
| 1748 | M | |
| 1748 | M | pellets replacing cinquefoils at beginning and end of obverse legend |
| 1748 | M | FRD punched over PHS, clearly visible on the F and D |
| 1748/7 | M | |
| 1749 | M | |
| 1749 | M | pellets replacing cinquefoils at beginning and end of obverse legend |
| 1749 | M | rosettes replacing cinquefoils bracketing R and denomination, pellets replacing cinquefoils at beginning and end of obverse legend |
| 1749 | M | FRD punched over PHS, evidence for correction mainly in and to the right of the D |
| 1750 | M | |
| 1750 | M | pellets replacing cinquefoils at beginning and end of obverse legend and rosettes at all stops on reverse |
| 1750 | M | pellets replacing cinquefoils at beginning and end of obverse legend and cinquefoils at all stops on reverse |
| 1750 | M | cinquefoils at beginning and end of obverse legend and rosettes at all stops on reverse |
| 1750 | M | mule with obverse die from Philip V |
| 1751 | M | |
| 1751/41 | M | decade overdate |
| 1752 | M | |
| 1753 | M | |
| 1753/2 | M | |
| 1754 | M | |
| 1754/3 | M | |
| 1755 | M | |
| 1755/4 | M | |
| 1756 | M | |
| 1757/6 | M | |
| 1757 | M |
In 1757 the imperial crown replaced the royal crown on the left pillar.
KM-86.2 2r 1758 Mo M (Stack’s Bowers auction, 24 February 2026, lot 76420)
| Date | Asssayer | Comment |
| 1757 | M | |
| 1758 | M | |
| 1758 | M | cinquefoil stops, obverse, crosses reverse |
| 1758 | M | very small R on obverse, taken from punch set for a smaller denomination coin. |
| 1758/7 | M | |
| 1759/8 | M | |
| 1759 | M | |
| 1759 | M | no stop after HISP |
| 1759 | M | cinquefoils bracketing R, denomination, and at start and end of legend obverse. Crosses as stops reverse |
| 1759 | M | cinquefoils for all major stops on both sides |
| 1759 | M | crosses for major stops obverse, and cinquefoils for major stops reverse |
| 1759/8 | M | |
| 1760 | M | all posthumous |
| 1760 | M | cinquefoils bracketing R, denomination, and at start and end of legend obverse. |
Four reales
KM-95 4r 1747 Mo MF (Stack’s Bowers auction, 26 August 2022, lot 34158)
| Date | Asssayer | Comment |
| 1747 | MF | |
| 1748 | MF | |
| 1748/7 | MF | |
| 1749 | MF | |
| 1750/40 | MF | decade digit overdate |
| 1750/40 | MF | variety with a second change to the pillar design. Introduction of echinus with crowns sitting flat upon without lower arcs |
| 1751 | MF | |
| 1751/41 | MF | decade digit overdate |
| 1752 | MF | |
| 1752 | MF | variety with a second change to the pillar design. Introduction of echinus with crowns sitting flat upon without lower arcs |
| 1753 | MF | Introduction of echinus with crowns sitting flat upon without lower arcs. This design type became the standard |
| 1754 | MF | |
| 1754/44 | MF | decade digit overdate |
In 1755 the design was changed, with the left pillar topped by an imperial crown. The imperial crown was not used on the ½r, 1r or 2r until 1757.
KM-95 4r 1755 Mo MM (Stack’s Bowers NYINC auction, 15 January 2022, lot 2078)
| Date | Asssayer | Comment |
| 1754 | MM | |
| 1755 | MM | |
| 1756 | MM | |
| 1757 | MM | |
| 1758 | MM | first version of imperial crown on left pillar, with 'open wings' |
| 1758 | MM | second version of imperial crown on left pillar, with 'closed wings' |
| 1759 | MM | |
| 1760 | MM | |
| 1760/59 | MM |
Eight reales
| Date | Asssayer | Comment |
| 1747 | MF | |
| 1748 | MF | |
| 1748/7 | MF | |
| 1749 | MF | |
| 1749/8 | MF | |
| 1750 | MF | |
| 1750/40 | MF | decade digit overdate |
| 1751 | MF | |
| 1751/0 | MF | |
| 1752 | MF | |
| 1752/1 | MF | |
| 1753 | MF | |
| 1753/2 | MF | |
| 1754 | MF | |
| 1754/3 | MF | |
| 1754 | MM |
The design was changed to imperial crown on the left pillar.
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)
| Date | Asssayer | Comment |
| 1754 | MM | |
| 1754 | MF | |
| 1755 | MM | |
| 1755/4 | MM | |
| 1756 | MM | |
| 1756/5 | MM | |
| 1757 | MM | |
| 1757/6 | MM | |
| 1758 | MM | |
| 1759 | MM | |
| 1760 | MM |