ObverseImage: Wikimedia Commons · Jerry "Woody" from Edmonton, Canada · CC BY-SA 2.0
Charles IV 4 Reales
Mexico
1788–1808
Reference data compiled from public catalogs
Market Price Range
Based on 17 eBay listings · Prices vary by grade and condition
Estimated Melt Value
$31.51
Based on Silver spot price ($80.16/oz) · 90.3% purity · 13.54g
Updated 7:18 AM
Collector premium not included
Specifications
| Country | Mexico |
| Years Minted | 1788–1808 |
| Composition | 90.3% silver |
| Weight | 13.54 g |
| Diameter | 32 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Design
Obverse
Bust of Charles IV facing right.
Reverse
Crowned Spanish coat of arms with the Pillars of Hercules.
History & Notable Facts
The Charles IV 4 Reales, struck in Mexico, often ended up in Manila's markets via the galleons, circulating far beyond its intended colonial sphere.
This silver coin, weighing around 13.5 grams with a fineness of about 0.903, bore the king's portrait on one side and the Spanish coat of arms on the other. Minted at the Mexico City facility, it represented a standard unit in the reales system, equivalent to a half-peso. Production varied yearly, but records from that era are spotty; we know some dies cracked under pressure, leading to irregular strikes.
As for myths, people still claim these coins were cursed by indigenous workers. Nonsense—they were just currency, hammered out amid the empire's decline. Mintage figures? Lost in bureaucratic haze, likely forever.
The design's pillars and waves motif symbolized the Pillars of Hercules, a nod to Spain's global reach. That's all.
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