1/2 Real - Ferdinand VI Proclamation

Proclamation medals and coins of this type were struck to mark the formal acclamation of a new Spanish monarch in colonial cities — a ceremony in which local authorities publicly swore loyalty, often years after the king had already ascended in Madrid. Ferdinand VI came to the throne in 1746, and Guatemala's proclamation issue followed in 1747, placing this piece squarely within that ritual delay endemic to colonial administration.

Betts 347 is well-documented among collectors of Spanish colonial proclamation coinage, with Medina's cataloguing providing the foundational reference for Central American issues of this type. Surviving examples in any condition are scarce; proclamation pieces were often hoarded as souvenirs rather than spent, yet attrition over nearly three centuries has thinned the population considerably.