Philip V 1 Escudo

The Philip V 1 Escudo was minted in Mexico City using gold from local mines, a straightforward nod to the colony's economic backbone under Bourbon rule.

That gold often came from the veins of Zacatecas or Guanajuato, hammered into coins that carried the king's bust and the Spanish coat of arms. Designs were simple, with the escudo's value marked clearly to avoid the counterfeiting that plagued earlier issues. Struck between 1700 and 1746, these pieces reflect the transition from Habsburg to Bourbon aesthetics, though records of exact production numbers vanished in colonial archives long ago.

Exact mintages remain a mystery; what we know is that variations exist due to worn dies or assayer marks. If you're handling one, check for the telltale edge reeding that sometimes went awry.

Plenty of myths swirl about these coins being cursed or lucky, but that's just collectors spinning yarns.