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1/4 Real - Carlos IV with mintmark
| Issuer | Casa de Moneda de Chile, Santiago |
|---|---|
| Year | 1796-1808 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central field depicts a rampant lion passant to the left (lion of León), shown in high relief with tail curled upward, rendered in a bold, simplified colonial style. The figure occupies the majority of the plain field with no surrounding legend. The design is enclosed within a plain inner border and a beaded (milled) outer rim consistent with the obverse. This heraldic lion is one of the two traditional charges of the Spanish Royal Arms, paired with the castle on the obverse. |
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| Mint | Casa de Moneda de Chile, Santiago |
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| Additional information |
The Santiago mint produced quarter reales in this period under considerable logistical strain — silver from the Andean mines had to be refined and transported through supply chains perpetually disrupted by colonial administration bottlenecks and, from 1796 onward, the interruptions brought by Spain's wars with Britain, which throttled Atlantic shipping and created irregular production runs throughout Carlos IV's reign.
The Santiago mintmark, So, distinguishes these from the prolific output at Potosí and Mexico City. Because the quarter real circulated hard in small transactions and was frequently used by indigenous and mestizo populations for everyday commerce, surviving examples without significant wear are genuinely uncommon.