My Colonial Mexico City 8 Reales Type set captures the top spot -- sort of...

Last year, I worked at completing the Colonial Mexico City 8 Reales Type Set with the hope that I might get the top spot. This set is eight coins (how appropriate) from the milled 8 Reales series minted in Mexico City during Spanish rule. The years represented by this set, 1732-1821, comprise a significant section of history in the Americas. After all, these coins were the primary specie circulating throughout the Americas and were the preferred currency for trade with the Far East. It was the time of the establishment and expansion of the USA and the end of the Viceroyalty of New Spain and the birth of independence in Central and South America. Within the current NGC boundaries, I believe this type set is the ultimate showcase for 8 reales coins.

I naively thought I could find nice raw examples to fill in the slots that I don't have covered by my Charles III portrait collection but the NGC graders had different opinions. Not to be dissuaded, I sought and found some decent slabbed coins and finally completed the set only to discover that the preeminent world coin collector, Mr. Rudman, had created several sets from his awesome collection of mint state pillar dollars. I was so many points away from first place it wasn't funny.

I continued to make small improvements to my set as the opportunity arose. And then, this year, to my surprise, Mr. Rudman made some changes to his Mexico City sets that left me in first place. I wasn't sure if it would last -- I know he has three coins from his pillar dollar collection that would easily pass my best eight coin total -- but I determined to polish my coin descriptions so that I would have a presentable set. Whether it was graciousness on the part of Mr. Rudman or not, I am thankful for the inspiration that it gave me to dress up these eight special coins.

Please drop by for a visit. I prefer to view short sets and this one fits the bill at only eight.

http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/registry/coins/SetListing.aspx?PeopleSetID=117382

Here's a composite picture of the first coin and its comment text:

"Philip V was the first of the Bourbon kings of Spain, appointed to the head of an empire weakened by war and heavily in debt. Much of the silver from the New World, like this coin, quickly went into the hands of Spain's creditors. I tried to fill the Philip V slot in my Mexico City Type set with a raw coin purchase but gave up after 5 attempts. This was a slabbed purchase from the Stack's Bowers June 2011 Baltimore Auction. Lot #6170. KM-103; FC-16a; El-103; Gil-M-8-16."

~jack

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