SPAIN, Reino de España. Isabel II, 1833-1868. 8 Maravedis 1835 (Bronze, 30 mm, 10.80 g, 12 h), pattern with assayer's marks. Segovia. ISABEL 2A• POR LA GRACIA DE DIOS / 1835 Bare bust of Isabel II to right. Rev. REYNA DE ESPANA Y DE LAS INDIAS / 8. - M Coat of arms. Host coin: Cf. Calicó 121. Cf. Cayón 16705. Cf. KM 512.3. Apparently unpublished and of great interest. Minor areas of weakness and tiny marks on the obverse, otherwise, good extremely fine.



Countermarks (resellos) occasionally appear on coins of Isabel II. These include unofficial stamps indicating revaluations or references to private individuals - for instance, the well known ‘LARRA’ countermarks of the moneylender Baldomera Larra. Official countermarks, like the ones on the present piece, are, however, exceedingly rare and apparently not published for this type. The two finely detailed countermarks, which carefully avoid defacing the young queen’s portrait, refer on the one hand to the Spanish monarchy (crowned castle) and on the other to the assayer Antonio Rafael Narváez (‘NARVAEZ’).

Narváez had already served as an assayer under Carlos IV and Joseph Napoleon, and between 1834 and 1851 he held the position of royal assayer under Isabel II, who ascended the Spanish throne in 1833. Copper coinage with her portrait, however, was not issued until 1835. Our 8 Maravedi piece thus belongs to the very first phase of this new issue.

At that time, Narváez was also responsible for the production of the new copper coinage in Segovia. Our example is a final trial strike of the type that would ultimately enter circulation. It likely served as a presentation piece for a review commission prior to the start of full production. The two countermarks can thus be seen as both the signature and the guarantee of the artistic and metrological quality of this newly introduced 8 Maravedi type.