1755 MEXICO Silver "PIECE of EIGHT" 8 Reales or PILLAR DOLLAR Chop Marked NGC VF

This is a very nice, .917 silver, "Pillar Dollar" type "Eight Reales" or "Piece of Eight" also known as a "Spanish Milled Dollar" from "New Spain" as the Spanish were still calling Mexico when this coin was struck there at the Mexico City mint in 1755. This was during the reign of Ferdinand VI, he was King of Spain and "The Indies" from 1746 until his death in 1759.
 
This is one of the first coins pictured in the famous "Red Book" or "A Guide Book to United States Coins" by R. S. Yeoman. These coins circulated all over the world. North and South America, Europe and even in the Orient. The merchants there would commonly "Chop Mark" the coin to both to assure themselves it was good silver and to advertise their businesses.
 
The "British North American Colonies", soon to become the United States of America, would base its "Dollar" on these Spanish coins. The "Continental Currency" paper money used during the revolution was payable in "Spanish Milled Dollars". This coin would have been current money anywhere in America, north, south or central.
 
Certified by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation and graded as Very Fine.
Details – Chop Mark and tooling noted.
"Standard Catalog of World Coins" (1701-1800) by Krause-Mishler. #104.2.

Obverse: FERDND • VI • D • G • HISPAN • ET IND • REX • Ferdinand VI, by the grace of God, King of Spain and the Indies. •/• M M • 8 • Mint assayers initials and denomination. • Crowned arms showing the lions of Leon and the castles of Castile, surmounted by the lilies of Bourbon France (added after the War of the Spanish Succession). The pomegranate at the bottom is for Granada. • Chop Mark in D of IND and another in upper loop of 8.
 

Reverse: VTRA QUE VNUM • Both Are One, referring to both the old and new worlds. • The Mo’s are the Mexico City mintmarks. • 1759 • Crowned globes over waves, between two pillars representing the pillars of Hercules (The straits of Gibraltar) with a ribbon on them reading PLUS VLTR (meaning “more beyond”). • Pits (tooling?) in Q and right mintmark.
 

Front of the holder.
 

Back of the holder.
 
The Coin: A scarce coin, it has the normal marks and wear consistent with the grade. The “Chops” are not numerous enough to distract or deform the coin and the “tooling” is either the couple of small pits or invisible. It has been certified and graded by the prestigious third-party grading service Numismatic Guaranty Corporation or (NGC). Even though it has been professionally graded, that is just an opinion and grading is subjective, so please see the pictures and judge for yourself.
 
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