1772 was the first year for the Portrait 8 Reales. 

There were 2 different 8 Reales issued by the Mexico City Mint.  Both coins issued in 1772 and the first of the 2 coins issued in 1773 had characteristics that were present in the Pillar coinage (1732-71) that would not be present in any of the future Portrait 8 Reales, setting these 3 coins apart from all of the other coins issued during the Colonial Period concluding in 1821. 

On the reverse side from the Portrait, starting with the tip of the cross at 12:00 o’clock, going around in a clockwise direction at about 8:00 the familiar Mexico City mintmark M with a small o centered above it was facing in an outward direction from the center of the coin just as it had been on the Pillar coinage.

The Assayers during 1772 and 1773 remained as they had been at the end of Pillar Coinage.  Francisco Antonio de la Pena y Flores (1762-84) was the senior assayer, and Manuel de la Rivera (1770-77) was the junior assayer, making the correct positioning of their initials as FM.

On the standard coin issued in 1772, and the first part of 1773 at about 10:00 is the Junior Assayer’s initial (M) located below the Senior Assayer’s initial (F) located at 11:00, both facing outward like the mintmark and arranged with the Junior Assayer’s initial below the Senior Assayer as it had been with Pillar coinage.

This coin has the error of reversing the position of the assayers.

Note and compare the standard inverted FM to the rare MF. Individuals and grading companies have made mistakes with respect to this rare coin’s identification, sometimes labeling the standard inverted FM as the inverted MF.

PRICES:  My price reference is 2015 North American Coins & Prices David Harper Editor (24th Edition).   The prices listed for the 1772 MF are: Very Good (8) = $150.00, Fine (12) = $350.00, Very Fine (20) = $750.00, Extremely Fine (40) = $1500.00.

 Photography:

The physical appearance of a coin will differ depending on the type and intensity of the light under which we view the coin.  I use a 100 watt incandescent light bulb at a distance of about 1 foot.

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.