Spain - Catalonia 1841B 6 cuartos / quartos Queen Isabel II NGC MS63BN

1841                          6 cuartos

Cataluña

Queen Isabel II

Barcelona mint

obv: Crowned Arms above Date

rev: Crowned Shield above Denomination spelled 6 QUAR; 

flowers appear with 5 petals or 7 petals 

The copper coins of Cataluña exist in five major types. The III quartos, III cuartos, 3 cuartos, VI quartos, and 6 cuartos. These are abbreviated QUAR and CUAR on the actual coins. Those with QUAR are much harder to find than those with CUAR, but all are scarce in XF condition or better. 

These coins were essentially a form of emergency money and quantity was of greater concern than quality. Planchet flaws, porosity, and heavy die wear are common on these coins. 

This coin is an uncirculated example of the 6 cuartos type with lustrous brown surfaces. Despite a planchet flaw which appears as dark areas on the obverse, this is one of the most attractive examples of the type seen by this author.

NGC MS63BN

Among the finest known examples.

Pop 1/3 at NGC (3 graded higher)

and  Pop 1/0 at PCGS (none graded higher)

uncommon in circulated grades, 

rare in uncirculated grades

(based on Rarity estimates in The Coins of Queen Isabel II)

AE (copper) 32mm 12h 

Edge: Dots within overlapping circles 

O’Connor p.165 6C-1841B-5petals

ex O’Connor Collection

Isabel II inherited the throne in 1833 upon the death of her father, Ferdinand VII. The first numismatic period of Isabel's reign (1833-1848) is referred to as the Kingdom period. During this time the coinage denominations and appearance continued much as they had in Ferdinand's time except for the introduction of Isabel's name and image. 

Cataluña (English = Catalonia) is a region of the Iberian Peninsula that contains Barcelona and surrounding areas. Throughout Spanish history Cataluña has either had or sought independence from Spain. In practice it was often a state within a state, governing itself as it saw fit while paying taxes to and otherwise accomodating Spain’s central government. During Isabel II’s reign and into modern times Cataluña remains a part of Spain, though rumblings of independence continue to this day. 

The coins of Cataluña during the reign of Isabel II were minted in Barcelona. The mint at Barcelona had been closed following the end of the French invasion. However, the machinery and tools remained there until the city’s government decided to begin minting coins again in 1836. Spain’s central government objected to this and issued a stern declaration requiring the Barcelona mint to be closed immediately. Barcelona said they simply could not do this as coins were necessary to pay the queen’s troops in the field during the Carlist War. By this reasoning the coins of Cataluña during this period might be considered “siege money” or “emergency money” in that they were, ostensibly, needed to pay troops in an ongoing military campaign to prevent the city from falling to the enemy. Spain’s central government in Madrid certainly needed the troops to keep fighting in support of the queen and thus issued no further objection as the Cataluña coins continued to be minted until the formal transition to decimal coinage in 1848. The decree instituting the decimal coinage in 1848 also specified that old coinage of Spain and Cataluña could be turned in for new decimal coins and many were. Many of these Catalan coins were later overstruck as 4 and 8 maravedís or melted to make other denominations. 

These coins often have a crude appearance and may exhibit signs of severe die wear as the dies were used to exhaustion. Evaluating condition of these coins therefore differs from many other coins of Isabel II. Full details of design elements may be difficult to find even on uncirculated examples. 

You will receive the exact lot shown in the photos.