Silver Pillar coinage of Philip V

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-65 ½r 1732 (Stack’s Bowers NYINC auction, 14 January 2017, lot 3121) 

1742 saw a new obverse, in which the shield is moved up and marginal legend shortened (PHILIP V D G HISPAN EF IND REX shortened to PHS V D G HISP ET IND R). Only one assayer initial used, which is moved to reverse, right of date.

KM-66 ½r 1746 Mo M (Stack’s Bowers auction, 16 January 2021, lot 22257) 

One real

KM-75.1 1r 1733 Mo M (Stack’s Bowers auction, 24 February 2026, lot 76350)


KM-75.1 1r 1733 MX F (Stack’s Bowers NYINC auction, January 2015, lot 1250)

KM-75.1 1r 1733 MX MF (Stack’s Bowers Baltimore auction, winter 2014, lot 443)

Six petal rosette stops on reverse.

1742 saw a new obverse, in which the shield is enlarged and moved upwards and marginal legend shortened (PHILIP V D G HISPAN EF IND REX shortened to PHS V D G HISP ET IND R). Only one assayer initial (M) used, which is moved to reverse, right of date. In its place on the obverse was placed R (for real). Pellets replace rosettes at all stops on reverse.

KM-75.2 1r 1744 Mo M (Stack’s Bowers auction, 7 August 2017, lot 22694)

Two reales

KM-84 2r 1736/3 Mo MF (Stack’s Bowers auction, 24 February 2026, lot 76630)

1742 saw a new obverse, in which the shield is enlarged and moved upwards and marginal legend shortened (PHILIP V D G HISPAN EF IND REX shortened to PHS V D G HISP ET IND R). Only one assayer initial (M) used, which is moved to reverse, right of date. In its place on the obverse was placed R (for reales). Cinquefoils now become the standard for bracketing of R and denomination, as well as replaxing the rosettes on reverse stops.

KM-85 2r 1745/4 Mo M (Stack’s Bowers auction, 24 February 2026, lot 76347)

 

KM-85 2r 1745 Mo M (Stack’s Bowers NYINC auction, 8 January 2016, lot 42675)

Rare variety. HIP instead of HISP in legend.

Four reales

KM-94 4r 1732 (Stack’s Bowers NYINC auction, 15 January 2022, lot 2075)

Variety with wide date. Gilboy states that this type which lacks the assayer's initials and denomination may be considered "trial pieces struck directly from the matrix sent from Madrid". Whether this is true or not remains a mystery, but is believed to be the case by leading experts in the field. Brad Yonaka in his book A Variety Guide to the Fractional Pillar Coinage of Mexico City 1732-1771 states "It is thought that these coins were struck from dies sent directly from Spain, to serve as examples of how the coin layout should look".

Eight reales

For an analysis of the transition from 8 reales cobs to milled coins in 1732  to 1734 see Kent Ponterio's article here.

For a checklist of the relative rarities of dates and varirties, from Freeman Craig and Kent Ponterio, see here.

KM-103 8r 1733 MX F (Stack’s Bowers auction, 17 August 2024, lot 44143)

KM-103 8r 1733 MX MF (Stack’s Bowers ANA auction, 4 August 2017, lot 21160)

Large crown, dot above assayer's letters with rosette below.

KM-103 8r 1733 Mo F (Stack’s Bowers NYINC auction, 13 January 2023, lot 21149)

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.