Colombia 2 Escudos 1700-14 "Charles III & Philip V" NGC 64
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Charles III Pretender & Philip V Gold Cob 2 Escudos (1700–1714) NGC 64
Nuevo Reino Mint | A Rare and Historic Mule Coin Bridging Two Rival Kings
This exceptional gold Cob 2 Escudos, minted in Nuevo Reino during the tumultuous War of Spanish Succession (1701–1714), is a numismatic gem of extraordinary historical and political significance. Weighing 6.73 grams and certified MS64 by NGC, this coin is a highly desirable mule type—a rare hybrid striking that astonishingly bears the names of two rival monarchs: the deceased Charles II of Spain and his disputed successor, Philip V of Bourbon. Its classification as KM14.2, Cal-242 (for type), Fr-4a, and Restrepo-M79 underscores both its technical and historical distinctiveness.
While often mislabeled as a posthumous issue of Charles II under Philip V’s reign, this coin was more accurately minted during the competing rule of Charles III the Pretender—better known to history as Archduke Charles of Austria, and later Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor. Following the childless death of Charles II in 1700, the Spanish crown became the epicenter of a continent-wide conflict between the Austrian Habsburgs and the French Bourbons. Archduke Charles was proclaimed Charles III of Spain by supporters in Catalonia and much of the eastern Spanish realms, where he maintained court from 1705 to 1711. His reign in Spain, though contested, was not merely symbolic—he governed large swaths of territory, issued coinage, and commanded loyalty from significant Spanish and colonial populations.
This coin, struck in the New World under Habsburg authority, captures the chaotic overlap of allegiances in the Spanish colonies. The beautifully preserved legends reveal a sharp rendering of the central motif and an unusually clear inscription of Philip V’s name—despite the coin having been struck under the influence of his Habsburg rival. This numismatic paradox is the very definition of a "mule"—a coin produced from mismatched dies, in this case symbolizing two monarchs who were locked in a battle not only for thrones, but for the very future of European dynasties.
Charles III’s Spanish reign effectively ended when his elder brother, Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor, died in 1711. Charles returned to Vienna to claim the imperial throne, becoming Charles VI and shifting his ambitions from Spain to the broader Holy Roman Empire. Nonetheless, the legacy of his Spanish claims endured in coinage like this—a tangible relic of a fractured empire, a dual monarchy, and the lingering shadow of Charles II’s death.
In both condition and context, this coin is an extraordinary survivor from one of the most consequential successions in European history. Mule types such as this, particularly in such high grades and with legible legends of both monarchs, are vanishingly rare—making this a crown jewel for collectors of colonial gold, European dynastic history, or the dramatic saga of the War of Spanish Succession.
Nuevo Reino Mint | A Rare and Historic Mule Coin Bridging Two Rival Kings
This exceptional gold Cob 2 Escudos, minted in Nuevo Reino during the tumultuous War of Spanish Succession (1701–1714), is a numismatic gem of extraordinary historical and political significance. Weighing 6.73 grams and certified MS64 by NGC, this coin is a highly desirable mule type—a rare hybrid striking that astonishingly bears the names of two rival monarchs: the deceased Charles II of Spain and his disputed successor, Philip V of Bourbon. Its classification as KM14.2, Cal-242 (for type), Fr-4a, and Restrepo-M79 underscores both its technical and historical distinctiveness.
While often mislabeled as a posthumous issue of Charles II under Philip V’s reign, this coin was more accurately minted during the competing rule of Charles III the Pretender—better known to history as Archduke Charles of Austria, and later Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor. Following the childless death of Charles II in 1700, the Spanish crown became the epicenter of a continent-wide conflict between the Austrian Habsburgs and the French Bourbons. Archduke Charles was proclaimed Charles III of Spain by supporters in Catalonia and much of the eastern Spanish realms, where he maintained court from 1705 to 1711. His reign in Spain, though contested, was not merely symbolic—he governed large swaths of territory, issued coinage, and commanded loyalty from significant Spanish and colonial populations.
This coin, struck in the New World under Habsburg authority, captures the chaotic overlap of allegiances in the Spanish colonies. The beautifully preserved legends reveal a sharp rendering of the central motif and an unusually clear inscription of Philip V’s name—despite the coin having been struck under the influence of his Habsburg rival. This numismatic paradox is the very definition of a "mule"—a coin produced from mismatched dies, in this case symbolizing two monarchs who were locked in a battle not only for thrones, but for the very future of European dynasties.
Charles III’s Spanish reign effectively ended when his elder brother, Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor, died in 1711. Charles returned to Vienna to claim the imperial throne, becoming Charles VI and shifting his ambitions from Spain to the broader Holy Roman Empire. Nonetheless, the legacy of his Spanish claims endured in coinage like this—a tangible relic of a fractured empire, a dual monarchy, and the lingering shadow of Charles II’s death.
In both condition and context, this coin is an extraordinary survivor from one of the most consequential successions in European history. Mule types such as this, particularly in such high grades and with legible legends of both monarchs, are vanishingly rare—making this a crown jewel for collectors of colonial gold, European dynastic history, or the dramatic saga of the War of Spanish Succession.
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