Tom Luxsox Coins

Reale Cob

Pieces of Eight are historic objects of a high order. Subjected to the most hellish of pirates, and the high water of countless ocean storms, they look the part.

The earliest of these coins have a rugged appearance that belies their high silver content. They are anything but round - crudely executed, even by the standards of medieval hammered coinage. In Spanish, they were called "caba de barra" or, "end of the bar" - referring to the minting procedures employed in their manufacture. In English, these are called "cob coins" or more simply, "cobs".

Minting a cob coin required the following steps:

1. Extrude silver, refined to the prescribed purity (.930 fine for most cobs) into bars.

2. Allow to cool.

3. Cut a piece from the end of the bar of the approximate weight of the coin desired.

4. Insert the obverse die into the top of the coining anvil. (The obverse die featured the Hapsburg coat of arms of the Spanish monarchs, the date, the mint mark, and the initial of the assayer's first name for accountability.)

5. Heat the piece of freshly cut silver in a furnace to slightly soften the metal. This is called "annealing".

6. Place the warm silver piece onto the anvil mounted obverse die.

7. Direct one mint worker (usually a native "Indian" laborer) to hold the heavy reverse punch (bearing a Jerusalem Cross and castle and lions in the quartered image) above the blank silver piece.

8. Use a large sledge hammer to strike the hand held punch onto the coin, thus imparting the appropriate design to each side of the new coin.

9. Optional Step (but one often taken): Strike the coin again, just to make sure. And once again if you feel like it! (Many cob coins are double or triple struck.)

10. Weigh the coin. If too light, cast it aside for melting. If too heavy, use large shears to cut off enough metal to bring it to the proper weight.

As stated, the resulting coin was a bit rough. The surfaces were usually not uniformly flat, so much of the design would often fail to appear.

However, it was important that the mint mark and assayer's initial appear on every coin. Although the final product had a non-standard look about it, the weight and purity of its metal was a matter of pride to the coiners, and in fact, was a legal requirement of the Spanish crown. Non-compliance was a serious offense with severe corporal punishment in prospect for those who failed in their efforts.

The earlies pieces of eight were part of a general class of coinage known as cob coins. What are cob coins? Checkout my page on this topic at http://www.valuable-coin-stories.com/cob-coins.html

I've collected coins since age 11 -- so, more than half a century. Coins have been a pleasant distraction over the years. Though I've never been a coin dealer, I have occasionally sold a coin or two at a nice profit, when the market was right. These experiences have taught me a bit about coin value in the marketplace. But I have to say that my greatest pleasure with coins has been the hooks they have to history and other areas of learning. And, I can never quite get beyond the feeling that, if any of my coins could talk, the stories would be priceless!

Reale - Not In The Face $9.49 Reale - Not In The Face

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Venaria Reale $70.1 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles Venaria Reale is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 8 km northwest of Turin. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 35,128 and an area of 20.3 km . The municipality of Venaria Reale contains the frazioni (subdivisions, mainly villages and hamlets) Altessano. Venaria Reale borders the following municipalities: Robassomero, Caselle Torinese, Druento, Borgaro Torinese, Turin, Pianezza, and Collegno. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Tennoe, Mariam T./ Henssonow, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 18 Publication Date: 2010/09/02 Language: English Dimensions: 9.02 x 5.98 x 0.04 inches

Miguel Reale $70.1 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles Miguel Reale (1910 2006) was a Brazilian jurist, philosopher, academic and politician. Miguel Reale taught philosophy of law at University of So Paulo, the institution from which he later received the title of Professor emeritus. As a scholar, he became wellknown in Latin America and in Continental Europe for his works on law and philosophy. Miguel Reale is considered the chief architect of Brazils current Civil Code. Miguel Reale served as Secretary of Justice for the state of So Paulo in 1947 and 1963 and twice as rector of the University of So Paulo in 1949 and 1969. He founded the Brazilian Institute of Philosophy in 1949 and the So Paulobased InterAmerican Society of Philosophy in 1954. He was a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters. Author: Miller, Frederic P./ Vandome, Agnes F./ McBrewster, John Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 84 Publication Date: 2010/08/02 Language: English Dimensions: 5.98 x 9.01 x 0.20 inches

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Palazzo Reale, Naples, Campania, Italy, Europe $29.99 Richard Cummins Palazzo Reale, Naples, Campania, Italy, Europe - Photographic Print

Venetian Mirror in the Palazzo Reale in the Procuratie Nuove $49.99 Venetian Mirror in the Palazzo Reale in the Procuratie Nuove - Giclee Print

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Zodax POL609 Candela Reale Etched Hurricane $263.25 Candela Reale Etched Hurricane Min.2. Selling Points: Etched Hurricane Candela Reale. Dimensions: 9.5 x 9.5 x 15.75.

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Close-Up of Corns on the Cob $24.99 P. Martini Close-Up of Corns on the Cob - Photographic Print

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Geniune Corn Cob Pipe $5.99 GENIUNE CORN COB PIPE: american missouri meerschaum corn cob pipe. a great salior man or old man accessory. NOTE: Price quoted is per pipe.

Arch of the Porta Reale, Noto, Sicily, Italy, Europe $29.99 Martin Child Arch of the Porta Reale, Noto, Sicily, Italy, Europe - Photographic Print