Colombia Escudo Cobs (Fakes are possible) 1665 to 1759

The Spanish Empire once included vast territories filled with gold and silver deposits in Central and Southern America. Transporting the precious metal back to mainland Spain as chunks of ore was inefficient. Coins could be packed together much better, and impurities were removed from the metal in the production process.

These gold 1, 2, 4 and 8 escudos were one way of getting New World gold back to the Old World. This page deals with those coins struck in Bogota, Colombia during the reigns of Charles II (1665-1700), Philip V (1700-1746) and Ferdinand VI (1749-1759).

It can be a real labyrinth for the novice collector to find their way around these interesting, yet crude coins. But the journey is worth all the time spent.

1 ESCUDO: 3.4 grams weight of genuine coin
2 ESCUDOS: 6.7 grams
4 ESCUDOS: 13.5 grams
8 ESCUDOS: 27.0 grams


The start and end dates for the different minor coin variations do not perfectly follow the reigns of the kings. Use the list below to find your denomination, then the date range, and check the value:

1 ESCUDO (1666-1715)
worn: $1500 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $2000
well preserved: $3000

1 ESCUDO (1715-1746)
worn: $1000
average circulated: $1500
well preserved: $2000

1 ESCUDO (1751-1756)
worn: $1000
average circulated: $1500
well preserved: $2000

2 ESCUDOS (1667-1691)
worn: $800
average circulated: $1200
well preserved: $2000

2 ESCUDOS (1692-1693)
worn: $1500
average circulated: $2250
well preserved: $2750

2 ESCUDOS (1694-1700)
worn: $1200
average circulated: $2000
well preserved: $2500

2 ESCUDOS (1701-1713)
worn: $1500
average circulated: $2250
well preserved: $2750

2 ESCUDOS (1717-1746)
worn: $950
average circulated: $1450
well preserved: $1750

2 ESCUDOS (1747-1756)
worn: $850
average circulated: $1250
well preserved: $1500

4 ESCUDOS (1743-1756)
worn: $2500
average circulated: $3500
well preserved: $4500

8 ESCUDOS (1743-1756)
worn: 3000
average circulated: $4000
well preserved: $5000

For any coin with a legible date, add $200 numismatic premium. Most coins can only be identified by type to a certain date range due to the crude nature of the striking process.

There are many fakes out there. Only buy valuable coins from dealers you know and trust.

Please see our Important Terminology page at the top left in order to properly translate the catalog values used here into actual buy and sales values.
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