Coins of the West Indies from the Collection of the late Edward Roehrs (Part II)

Martinique, ——— Escalin (valued at 15 Sols), SPAIN, Charles III, 2 Réales (Pistareen), [1772-82] pj, Madrid, a cut third segment, the cut edges crenated, 1.97g/30.4gr (Prid. 3 [Sale, lot 417]; KM. 25). Good fine, very rare £150-200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Cut and Countermarked Coins formed by the late Edward Roehrs.

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Collection

Provenance: R.C. Gordon Collection, Baldwin Auction 8, 7 October 1996, lot 168.

The Martinique Ordinance does not make a distinction between the Spanish-American 2 réales and the Spanish pistareen. The public were to take their coins to appointed administration offices in either Fort Royal or St Pierre where they would be cut into the appropriate segments. The pistareens were either accepted as a ‘quarter-dollar’, were slipped in un-noticed or are contemporary forgeries