In 1801 there were two types of 8 Reales issued by the Mexico City Mint. 

For the Portrait 8 Reales the practice at the mint was to identify the assayers by placing the senior assayer’s initial first and the junior assayer’s initial second when going around the coin clockwise using the initial of what we call “the first name” in the United States of America.

Francisco Arance Cobos was an assayer from 1777 into 1803 and Mariano Rodriguez from 1784 into 1801.  During the first part of 1801 the initials FM refer to these 2 assayers.  Later in the year the junior assayer, Mariano Rodriguez, was replaced by Tomas Butron Miranda (1801-10) changing the initials to FT.

 

The mint also used some previously used dies which had been recarved.  Since the removal of the earlier number was not 100%, part of the earlier number is visible on these coins, giving us the 1801/0 FM. 

Since assayers changed in 1801, some reverse dies were also recarved, creating FT/M or FT/FM coins.

 

Mexico City 8 Reales from 1791 issued under Carolus IIII through the armored bust series ending in 1811 issued under Ferdinand VII were 89.6% pure silver. 

 

NGCS grades this coin as an AU58.

PRICES:  My price reference is 2015 North American Coins & Prices David Harper Editor (24th Edition).   The prices listed for the 1801 FM are: Very Good (8) = $27.50, Fine (12) = $55.00, Very Fine (20) = $135.00, Extremely Fine (40) = $400.00. 

 

Photography:

 

The physical appearance of a coin will differ depending on the type, intensity and angle of the light under which we view the coin. 

For photographing this coin, I use a 100 watt incandescent light bulb at a distance of about 1 foot.  Incandescent light is the type used when grading coins.

Sales Information

DOMESTIC SALES - FREE SHIPPING. 

Tracking Numbers:  I will post a tracking number after I ship to you.

INTERNATIONAL SALES

I am now currently making international sales. 

As I understand it, if you can see my listing, you can buy it from outside the USA.  My shipping it to Kentucky is free to you.  The part about getting your coin from Kentucky to you has all been worked out by Global Shipping.  Supposedly, you can see your mailing costs, etc.

Payment

I would appreciate your paying me in a timely fashion after the close of the sale.

Other Information

My shipment to you:  The 8^th largest city in the USA no longer has a Post Office open after 5:00PM Monday through Friday. My mail route is “a training route” so I no longer have any idea who is going to be delivering my mail, or at what time of day.  I am not going to leave a $50-$500 coin outside to be picked up by “whomever”.  Given all of this, if you win and pay for a coin this morning, it probably won’t be put in the mail this afternoon.  They are taken to the Post Office to be mailed.

Returns:  This is a collector coin and not just some chunk of silver bullion.  If you do not feel that this coin is “right for you” after you have examined it, send an email letting me know it is coming back to me.  Return shipping cost is at the buyer’s expense.  Return it at your convenience, preferably within 14 days. The shipping to you is at my expense for domestic shipping. 

This is an old collector’s coin, and you and I both know, as coin collectors, sometimes a coin that looks good from photos does not measure up to our expectations.  After you have looked at it, if you decide that it is “not for you”, just let me know that you will be sending it back so that I will know to expect it.  I have other old 8 Reales.  If for some reason you don’t feel satisfied with this coin, that doesn’t mean you won’t be happy with the next one you win.

Please read everything I have stated to you about this coin, if I have made any specific comments about it.  If there is something of interest to you about the coin that I did not explain to you in this listing, send an email.