Battered Cob: No Grade; No Equals ... Historic & Perfect

This battered old cob is Perfect. Absolutely Perfect!
   It is the ultimate collector's piece. You cannot find another like it -- maybe a similar one, but this one is unique. Of course, all relics are unique. They wear their emotions on their face. Each mark, the corrosion, the edge splits, ... all of it tells a story. This coin was part of the action.
   Consider that this hunk of silver was crudely hammered by an Inca worker. The silver came from Cerro Rico ("rich mountain") at Potosi. This cob was packed on lamas en route to Lima where it was loaded on a Spanish Galleon. From there the story becomes a mystery. The sea corrosion suggests that the ship hit bottom: likely the Capitana (1654) or the Maravillas (1656).

   It takes a bit of detective work to decipher the details, but what fun it is. The obverse shows the crowned shield of Castile and Leon (castles and lions). Phillip IV of Spain shows at the upper right with only the PHIL showing. A and O stand for ANO or year; whereas the P is for Potosi (some have argued Peru, since the Lima mint was not operating at the time). The 8 is the denomination: Eight Reales.

1652 Eight Reales Cob from Potosi.
Obverse is shown at top, and Reverse at bottom.

   The reverse is full of data. There is a PH (Phillip IV) flanked by the digits 1 and 6 (start of date) just atop the two pillars of Hercules. Then we have the tic-tac-toe arrangement as follows. On the first line: P for Potosi, 8 for denomination, and E for Alonso de Ergueta the assayer of the mint. On the second line: PLVS VLTRA for the motto: "more beyond" -- this refers to Spain's claim to the New World. On the third line: E for the assayer, 52 for the end of date (1652), and P for Potosi.
   Note that some data is repeated to insure accountability in minting. If the whole design were clear, the date, assayer, and mint would show three times. All told, this is a coin that has much to look at and study.
   But there is more. The coin is unique. This is the only example of this die pair known. This is not surprising with 1652 cobs, as many variations exist. According to Robert Mastalir this pairing of the shield obverse with this reverse topped by the 1 PH 6 came late in the year. Only about ten pieces had this design combination, and only this one had this specific die pairing. Perhaps they were all produced in a day's work. Of course, there is no demand for a piece like this, as few folks know that this die pairing exists. Besides, many folks would moan about the rough condition.
    But here the best part.
   This coin has no grade! Sure, you can grade it. But it would be a shot in the dark. Meaningless. And, Stupid. It is what it is. Some expert can say its "fine" or "very good," but what does this mean, really?
   It means nothing. This cob is perfect. It is the only one. Go get a cob: They are all perfect!