The Lyall Collection of Cut and Countermarked Coins

St. Maarten, Dutch Administration, c. 1817, Eighteen Stuivers, a lightweight cut fifth of a Charles IIII, Spanish-American 8 Reales (this specimen less than a seventh by weight), obv. countermarked with design of seven bonded arrows raised within a shaped indent and st martin raised within a shaped indent, 3.61g/55.7gr (cf. Scholten 1416; Prid. p.258, fig. 37; KM. 12). Coin fair to fine, countermarks fine or better, rare £300-400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Lyall Collection of Cut and Countermarked Coins.

View
Collection

Provenance: R.A. Byrne Collection, Jess Peters Auction 78 (Los Angeles), 13-14 June 1975, lot 1067; bt K.V. Eckardt 1980.

It would appear that an earlier issue with these stamps on cut quarter-segments of the dollar took place when the dollar was valued at 12 reaals and the segments were valued at 3 reaals (eighteen stuivers). When the dollar was increased in value to 15 reaals, dollars were cut into five segments valued at 3 reaals and the existing cut quarter-segments were cut down to fifths (and often lighter, as this specimen)