YEMEN, circa mid 17h century. Cob 2 Reales (Silver, 27 mm, 6.42 g, 11 h), a contemporary imitation of a Spanish or Spanish colonial Cob 2 Reales. Uncertain local mint, no date. Crowned coat of arms. Rev. Coat of arms with misaligned heraldic elements. Extremely rare and of great interest. Nicely toned. The usual areas of weakness, otherwise, good very fine.



Among the highly intriguing Yemenite imitations, those modeled after the early Cob 8 Reales coins of King Felipe III stand out. The exact location in present-day Yemen where these pieces were minted remains unknown. Due to its strategic position at the Gulf of Aden, the region was in contact with the Cob coins of the Spanish Empire as early as the 16th century. Additionally, the Portuguese introduced European silver coins during their ultimately unsuccessful attempts at colonization. This piece was most likely minted under the Qâsimids, who, in 1635, overthrew Ottoman rule in the area that is now Yemen. This well-preserved specimen provides a fascinating glimpse into a largely unexplored area of cob coinage. For more details, see U.S. Mexican Numismatic Association Journal, March 2019, p. 24.