Spain Spanish Colonial 1/2, 1, 2, 4, and 8 Escudos (Fakes are possible) 1760 to 1817

Evaluating Spanish gold escudos is somewhat complicated. On this page you will find a superficial treatment of the subject. If you have one of these coins, it is important to research it thoroughly. These coins are very valuable.

In the old days Spain colonized much of the Western world. Coins from Spain circulated in places like Mexico, Peru, Colombia, and Florida. CAROL IIII is King Charles IV of Spain, although the older coins have CAROLUS III and are generally worth more than the IIII coins. After Charles came King Ferdinand, and his name and likeness appears on later dates. AUSPICES DEO IN UTRO FELIX means (roughly) 'in the will of God we will happily prosper.' There are many coins with these inscriptions.

8S means 8 escudos, the largest of Spanish Colonial gold coins. There were also 1S, 2S, and 4S gold coins. In addition, there are 1R, 2R, 4R, and 8R silver reales coins which look similar, but this page addresses only gold escudos. Mint marks appear on the shield side and identify the New World country of origin:

PTS - Bolivia (Potosi)
So - Chile (Santiago)
N, NR - Colombia (Bogota)
G - Guatemala (Antigua)
M, Mo, MX - Mexico (Mexico City)
L, LM - Peru (Lima)

We have a lot more information about identifying Spanish colonial coins at this page [PRESS HERE].

We have a fake 8 escudos at this page [PRESS HERE]. Further, there is a close-up of a genuine Mexican 8 escudos at the very bottom of this page. You can it use for comparison to your coin. Many copies and counterfeits are easily discerned by close, careful inspection compared to the real coin. Here is an example of a side-by-side comparison. We have pointed out a few obvious discrepancies:

Genuine gold 8 escudos from the 1700s and early 1800s are worth a bundle. The values range widely from $1000 US dollars to several 1000s of US dollars. If you have one of these, you should preserve, protect, and authenticate your coin.

1/2 ESCUDO, 13 mm diameter 0.0470 troy ounces gold
1 ESCUDO, 18 mm diameter 0.0952 ounces gold
2 ESCUDOS, 24 mm diameter 0.199 ounces
4 ESCUDOS, 29 mm diameter 0.399 ounces
8 ESCUDOS, 37 mm diameter 0.798 ounces

To focus on the value of these coins, first consider their gold content. Go to a web site such as kitco.com to find the current value of gold. If you have, for instance, a 2 escudos coin and the current price of gold is $1200 US dollars per ounce, the base value (BV) or bullion value or melt value of your coin would be 0.199 x 1200 = $240 US dollars. Be sure to use the current value of gold. It changes every day.

You can get very approximate values by adding premiums over base value (BV), as follows:

1/2 ESCUDO
worn: BV + $10
average circulated: BV + $100
well preserved: BV + $350

1 ESCUDO
worn: BV + $20
average circulated: BV + $200
well preserved: BV + $450

2 ESCUDOS
worn: BV + $30
average circulated: BV + $700
well preserved: BV + $1500

4 ESCUDOS
worn: BV + $200
average circulated: BV + $800
well preserved: BV + $2400

8 ESCUDOS
worn: BV + $100
average circulated: BV + $600
well preserved: BV + $1200

If you have an old escudo in decent condition, it is imperative that you consult a knowledgeable coin dealer or coin collector. The values shown are very, very rough guidelines. Some special coins are worth much more.

Image of Genuine Coin We chose the large image below from Bowers and Merena Galleries (now Stack's Bowers) because the toning on its surfaces makes the inscriptions and devices stand out. Does your coin look like this? Hope so. This is a genuine coin.



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