An excellent gold 8 escudos or doubloon from Peru dated 1799. Moneyer I.J. Lima mint. KM101

Attractive old tone, a large heavy gold coin of a type with great historical connections to early New Zealand.

The stuff of legends, gold coins from Spain and the Spanish American colonies were referred to as doubloons or fractions thereof.

Doubloons of eight escudos at one time had a face value of four pounds sterling although Alan Sutherland in his 1940 book 'Numismatic History of New Zealand' lists this coin as being worth 64 shillings in NZ in 1843. A Spanish silver dollar was equivalent to a gold half escudo, hence the escudo was worth two Spanish dollars, two escudos - four dollars, four escudos - 8 dollars and eight escudos (or doubloon)16 dollars. The 1827-28 cost of a musket in NZ was around a doubloon.

The gold coins of Spain and her colonies saw circulation in pre1850 New Zealand, particularly in the north of the country due to the scarcity of British issues and the lack of monetary regulation. These historic coins are seldom offered in New Zealand now.

An example of one of each of the gold denominations: half, one, two, four and eight escudos would make a marvellous and historic collection with links to early European New Zealand with its sailors, whalers, local Maori, traders,and assorted scoundrels.

Auckland fringe CBD weekday pickup possible during business hours by arrangement.