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| Slot: |
1895 TF 2D PHILADELPHIA |
| Origin/Country: |
ECUADOR |
| Design Description: |
|
| Item Description: |
2D 1895 TF PHILADELPHIA KM-51.4 |
| Grade: |
NGC MS 64 |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
Ecuador - 1895 T.F. Philadelphia - Dos Decimos (KM #51.4, EC #181) - Mintage: 5,000,000
Ecuador began adopting a decimal coinage system in 1874 with the minting of one and two centavo coins at the Mint in Birmingham, England. The transition was completed on March 22, 1884 with the creation of the silver sucre coin which was equivalent to 100 centavos. The sucre remained the official unit of currency in Ecuador for 116 years until the President of Ecuador announced on January 9, 2000 that the US dollar would be adopted as Ecuador's official currency.
This was the first coin struck by the Philadelphia mint for Ecuador, and it is the only U.S. minted Ecuadorian coin I am aware of where a proof version was also minted. I have been unable to find any record of how many proofs were minted though.
Obverse
The distinctive portrait on the obverse of this coin is that of Antonio José de Sucre. Sucre was born in 1795 in Venezuela, and from the age of 15, spent the next 20 years fighting for independence from Spanish rule. During this time he became a collaborator of Simón BolÃvar, a Venezuelan general, and the first constitutional president of Bolivia, all before the age of 35. Sucre led the patriots to a decisive victory at the battle of Pichincha on May 24, 1822, effectively freeing Ecuador from Spanish rule. His life was cut short on June 4, 1830 when he was assassinated while on his way to Quito. Sucre was laid to rest in his own Mausoleum Chapel in the Cathedral of Quito. He is considered the liberator of Ecuador, and appears on many Ecuadorian coins.
Reverse
The reverse of this coin has a number of interesting features:
- Following the tradition set by the Quito mint, the name of the city where this coin was minted appears at the bottom under the coat of arms. In this case, PHILADELPHIA giving this coin the distinction of being the first circulating coin minted by the Philadelphia mint to bear a mark specifically indicating Philadelphia as the mint of origin.
- The denomination is DOS DECIMOS DE SUCRE. (20 centavos)
- The weight and fineness of the silver content is explicitly stated as 5G. and 0.900 (fine) with the balance in copper.
- Continuing the tradition of the Quito mint, every coin produced bore the initials of the assayer who was responsible for the quality of the coinage. In most Latin American mints however, these initials represent two different officials, generally the chief assayer and his deputy. It would appear that the U.S. mint was unaware of this tradition and the significance of the letters T.F. which appear to the lower right of the coat of arms on the sample coin they were give from the mint in Lima, Peru. These Lima mint assayers initials T.F. were simply copied onto the reverse die created by the Philadelphia mint and appear on all of the Dos Decimos coins minted by Philadelphia.
- Ecuador dictated the various elements of their coat of arms, but the actual rendering of these elements can vary greatly from mint to mint. In this case the central elements of the ship, water and mountain look more like an ocean going vessel sailing away from a mountainous coastline rather than the river steamship Guayas, sailing the Guayas river with the snow capped Chimborazo volcano in the distant background. There is also no Caduceus appearing as a mast on the ship, an aspect which seems to have eluded all but one mint. The following is a depiction of the 1841 steamship Guayas for comparison:
This coin
This coin is a reasonably well struck, uncirculated example of this issue. The obverse and reverse dies appear to have been relatively fresh. This is one of the first coins to be identified as having been struck by the Philadelphia mint.
Date acquired: 2/2/2020 (Raw coin)
Date graded: 8/4/2020 (self submitted to NGC)
References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, the COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.
Rev. 8/6/2020
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| Slot: |
1914 TF 2D PHILADELPHIA |
| Origin/Country: |
ECUADOR |
| Design Description: |
|
| Item Description: |
2D 1914 TF PHILADELPHIA KM-51.4 |
| Grade: |
NGC MS 65 |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
Ecuador - 1914 T.F. Philadelphia - Dos Decimos (KM #51.4, EC #186) - Mintage: 2,500,000
Ecuador began adopting a decimal coinage system in 1874 with the minting of one and two centavo coins at the Mint in Birmingham, England. The transition was completed on March 22, 1884 with the creation of the silver sucre coin which was equivalent to 100 centavos. The sucre remained the official unit of currency in Ecuador for 116 years until the President of Ecuador announced on January 9, 2000 that the US dollar would be adopted as Ecuador's official currency.
Obverse
The distinctive portrait on the obverse of this coin is that of Antonio José de Sucre. Sucre was born in 1795 in Venezuela, and from the age of 15, spent the next 20 years fighting for independence from Spanish rule. During this time he became a collaborator of Simón BolÃvar, a Venezuelan general, and the first constitutional president of Bolivia, all before the age of 35. Sucre led the patriots to a decisive victory at the battle of Pichincha on May 24, 1822, effectively freeing Ecuador from Spanish rule. His life was cut short on June 4, 1830 when he was assassinated while on his way to Quito. Sucre was laid to rest in his own Mausoleum Chapel in the Cathedral of Quito. He is considered the liberator of Ecuador, and appears on many Ecuadorian coins.
Reverse
The reverse of this coin has a number of interesting features:
- Following the tradition set by the Quito mint, the name of the city where this coin was minted appears at the bottom under the coat of arms. In this case, PHILADELPHIA.
- The denomination is DOS DECIMOS DE SUCRE. (20 centavos)
- The weight and fineness of the silver content is explicitly stated as 5G. and 0.900 (fine) with the balance in copper.
- Continuing the tradition of the Quito mint, every coin produced bore the initials of the assayer who was responsible for the quality of the coinage. In most Latin American mints however, these initials represent two different officials, generally the chief assayer and his deputy. It would appear that the U.S. mint was unaware of this tradition and the significance of the letters T.F. which appear to the lower right of the coat of arms on the sample coin they were give from the mint in Lima, Peru. These Lima mint assayers initials T.F. were simply copied onto the reverse die created by the Philadelphia mint and appear on all of the Dos Decimos coins minted by Philadelphia.
- Ecuador dictated the various elements that of their coat of arms, but the actual rendering of these elements by the various mints which produced their coins can vary greatly from mint to mint. In this case the central elements of the ship, water and mountain look more like an ocean going vessel sailing away from a mountainous coastline rather than the river steamship Guayas, sailing the Guayas river with the snow capped Chimborazo volcano in the distant background. There is also no Caduceus appearing as a mast on the ship, and aspect which seems to have eluded all but one mint. The following is a depiction of the 1841 steamship Guayas for comparison:
This coin
This coin is very well struck and lustrous. The obverse and reverse dies appear to be roughly the same die state with minimal bleeding of the peripheral lettering into the denticles
Date acquired:10/24/2006 (raw coin)
Date graded: 3/3/2016 (self submitted to NGC)
References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, the COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.
Rev. 11/23/2018
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| Slot: |
1916 DECIMO PHILA |
| Origin/Country: |
ECUADOR |
| Design Description: |
|
| Item Description: |
DECIMO 1916 PHILA KM-50.5 |
| Grade: |
NGC MS 63 |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
Ecuador - 1916 PHILA. - Un Decimo - (KM #50.5, EC #157) - Mintage 2,000,000
Ecuador began adopting a decimal coinage system in 1874 with the minting of one and two centavo coins at the Mint in Birmingham, England. The transition was completed on March 22, 1884 with the creation of the silver sucre coin which was equivalent to 100 centavos. The sucre remained the official unit of currency in Ecuador for 116 years until the President of Ecuador announced on January 9, 2000 that the US dollar would be adopted as Ecuador's official currency.
Obverse
The distinctive portrait on the obverse of this coin is that of Antonio José de Sucre. Sucre was born in 1795 in Venezuela, and from the age of 15, spent the next 20 years fighting for independence from Spanish rule. During this time he became a collaborator of Simón BolÃvar, a Venezuelan general, and the first constitutional president of Bolivia, all before the age of 35. Sucre led the patriots to a decisive victory at the battle of Pichincha on May 24, 1822, effectively freeing Ecuador from Spanish rule. His life was cut short on June 4, 1830 when he was assassinated while on his way to Quito. Sucre was laid to rest in his own Mausoleum Chapel in the Cathedral of Quito. He is considered the liberator of Ecuador, and appears on many Ecuadorian coins.
Reverse
The reverse of this coin has a number of interesting features:
- Following the tradition set by the Quito mint, the name of the city where this coin was minted appears at the bottom under the coat of arms. In this case, PHILA..
- The denomination is UN DECIMO DE SUCRE. (10 centavos)
- The weight and fineness of the silver content is explicitly stated as 2.5G. and 0.9 (fine) with the balance in copper.
- In the tradition of the Quito mint, every coin produced bore the initials of the assayer who was responsible for the quality of the coinage. The Birmingham, England mint however placed the letter H. for Heaton in this location when they struck this denomination in 1915. It would appear that the U.S. mint was unaware of the meaning and significance of the letter H. which appears to the lower right of the coat of arms on the sample coin they were given. The letter H. was simply copied onto the reverse die created by the Philadelphia mint, giving this coin the distinction of having mint marks from two different mints.
- Ecuador dictated the various elements that of their coat of arms, but the actual rendering of these elements by the various mints which produced their coins can vary greatly from mint to mint. In this case the central elements of the ship, water and mountain look more like an ocean going vessel sailing away from a mountainous coastline rather than the river steamship Guayas, sailing the Guayas river with the snow capped Chimborazo volcano in the distant background. There is also no Caduceus appearing as a mast on the ship, and aspect which seems to have eluded all but one mint. The following is a depiction of the 1841 steamship Guayas for comparison:
This coin
This coin is reasonably well struck and appears to have been struck from relatively fresh dies.
Date acquired: 10/2/2014 (Already graded by NGC)
References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, the COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.
Rev. 11/23/2018
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| Slot: |
1916 TF 2D PHILADELPHIA |
| Origin/Country: |
ECUADOR |
| Design Description: |
|
| Item Description: |
2D 1916 TF PHILADELPHIA KM-51.4 |
| Grade: |
NGC MS 65 |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
Ecuador - 1916 T.F. Philadelphia - Dos Decimos (KM #51.4, EC #189) - Mintage: 1,000,000
Ecuador began adopting a decimal coinage system in 1874 with the minting of one and two centavo coins at the Mint in Birmingham, England. The transition was completed on March 22, 1884 with the creation of the silver sucre coin which was equivalent to 100 centavos. The sucre remained the official unit of currency in Ecuador for 116 years until the President of Ecuador announced on January 9, 2000 that the US dollar would be adopted as Ecuador's official currency.
Obverse
The distinctive portrait on the obverse of this coin is that of Antonio José de Sucre. Sucre was born in 1795 in Venezuela, and from the age of 15, spent the next 20 years fighting for independence from Spanish rule. During this time he became a collaborator of Simón BolÃvar, a Venezuelan general, and the first constitutional president of Bolivia, all before the age of 35. Sucre led the patriots to a decisive victory at the battle of Pichincha on May 24, 1822, effectively freeing Ecuador from Spanish rule. His life was cut short on June 4, 1830 when he was assassinated while on his way to Quito. Sucre was laid to rest in his own Mausoleum Chapel in the Cathedral of Quito. He is considered the liberator of Ecuador, and appears on many Ecuadorian coins.
Reverse
The reverse of this coin has a number of interesting features:
- Following the tradition set by the Quito mint, the name of the city where this coin was minted appears at the bottom under the coat of arms. In this case, PHILADELPHIA.
- The denomination is DOS DECIMOS DE SUCRE. (20 centavos)
- The weight and fineness of the silver content is explicitly stated as 5G. and 0.900 (fine) with the balance in copper.
- Continuing the tradition of the Quito mint, every coin produced bore the initials of the assayer who was responsible for the quality of the coinage. In most Latin American mints however, these initials represent two different officials, generally the chief assayer and his deputy. It would appear that the U.S. mint was unaware of this tradition and the significance of the letters T.F. which appear to the lower right of the coat of arms on the sample coin they were give from the mint in Lima, Peru. These Lima mint assayers initials T.F. were simply copied onto the reverse die created by the Philadelphia mint and appear on all of the Dos Decimos coins minted by Philadelphia.
- Ecuador dictated the various elements that of their coat of arms, but the actual rendering of these elements by the various mints which produced their coins can vary greatly from mint to mint. In this case the central elements of the ship, water and mountain look more like an ocean going vessel sailing away from a mountainous coastline rather than the river steamship Guayas, sailing the Guayas river with the snow capped Chimborazo volcano in the distant background. There is also no Caduceus appearing as a mast on the ship, and aspect which seems to have eluded all but one mint. The following is a depiction of the 1841 steamship Guayas for comparison:
This coin
This coin is very well struck and lustrous. The obverse and reverse dies appear to have been very fresh when this coin was struck.
Date acquired:5/9/2016 (Already graded by NGC)
References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, the COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.
Rev. 9/20/2017
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| Slot: |
1917(P) 2.5C |
| Origin/Country: |
ECUADOR |
| Design Description: |
|
| Item Description: |
2.5C 1917 KM-61 |
| Grade: |
NGC MS 62 |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
Ecuador - 1917 - 2 1/2 Centavos - (KM #61, EC #116) - Mintage: 1,600,000
Ecuador began adopting a decimal coinage system in 1874 with the minting of one and two centavo coins at the Mint in Birmingham, England. The transition was completed on March 22, 1884 with the creation of the silver sucre coin which was equivalent to 100 centavos. The sucre remained the official unit of currency in Ecuador for 116 years until the President of Ecuador announced on January 9, 2000 that the US dollar would be adopted as Ecuador's official currency.
Obverse
These coins were minted for the "Republica Del Ecuador" by the Philadelphia mint, however no mint marks were used on the minor coinage produced for Ecuador in Philadelphia. Ecuador dictated the various elements that of their coat of arms, but the actual rendering of these elements by the various mints which produced their coins can vary greatly from mint to mint. In this case the central elements of the ship, water and mountain look more like an ocean going vessel sailing away from a mountainous coastline rather than the river steamship Guayas, sailing the Guayas river with the snow capped Chimborazo volcano in the distant background. There is also no Caduceus appearing as a mast on the ship, an aspect which seems to have eluded all but one mint. The following is a depiction of the 1841 steamship Guayas for comparison:
Reverse
The reverse of this coin is very simple, containing only the denomination DOS Y MEDIO CENTAVOS (2 1/2 Centavos) surrounded by a Laurel wreath.
This coin
Of all of the coins minted for Ecuador by the U.S. Mint, this particular issue is the most difficult to acquire in mint state. This is a nice coin that feels like it should have attained a higher grade.
Date acquired: 3/10/2020 (raw coin)
Date graded: 8/4/2020 (self submitted to NGC for grading)
References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, the COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.
Rev. 8/5/2020
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| Slot: |
1917(P) 5C/2.5C |
| Origin/Country: |
Ecuador |
| Design Description: |
|
| Item Description: |
5C 1917 ECUADOR STRUCK ON 2 1/2 CENTAVO PLANCHET (2.5g) KM-60.2/KM-61 |
| Grade: |
NGC MINT ERROR XF Details |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
Ecuador - 1917 - 5 Centavos (struck on a 2 1/2 Centavos planchet) - (KM-60.2/KM-61) - Mintage: Probably Unique!
This amazing find was purchased as a raw coin in an eBay auction as a normal 5 Centavos. Sadly it has seen rough circulation, surface debris, and abrasive cleaning. In spite of all that, it is most likely unique, and well worth the cost of certification.
The size of the two coins are very close, so it's easy to see how this coin might have gone unnoticed.
Date acquired: 7/17/2015 (raw coin)
Date graded: 10/28/2015 (self submitted to NGC)
Rev. 9/21/2017
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| Slot: |
1917(P) 5C |
| Origin/Country: |
ECUADOR |
| Design Description: |
|
| Item Description: |
5C 1917 KM-60.2 |
| Grade: |
NGC MS 62 |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
Ecuador - 1917 - 5 Centavos - (KM #60.2, EC #130) - Mintage: 1,200,000
Ecuador began adopting a decimal coinage system in 1874 with the minting of one and two centavo coins at the Mint in Birmingham, England. The transition was completed on March 22, 1884 with the creation of the silver sucre coin which was equivalent to 100 centavos. The sucre remained the official unit of currency in Ecuador for 116 years until the President of Ecuador announced on January 9, 2000 that the US dollar would be adopted as Ecuador's official currency.
Obverse
These coins were minted for the "Republica Del Ecuador" by the Philadelphia mint, however no mint marks were used on the minor coinage produced for Ecuador in Philadelphia. Ecuador dictated the various elements that of their coat of arms, but the actual rendering of these elements by the various mints which produced their coins can vary greatly from mint to mint. In this case the central elements of the ship, water and mountain look more like an ocean going vessel sailing away from a mountainous coastline rather than the river steamship Guayas, sailing the Guayas river with the snow capped Chimborazo volcano in the distant background. There is also no Caduceus appearing as a mast on the ship, an aspect which seems to have eluded all but one mint. The following is a depiction of the 1841 steamship Guayas for comparison:
Reverse
The reverse of this coin is very simple, containing only the denomination CINCO CENTAVOS (5 Centavos) surrounded by a Laurel wreath.
This coin
Of all of the coins minted for Ecuador by the U.S. Mint, this particular issue is one of the most difficult to acquire in mint state. The only one more difficult to obtain is the 1917 2 1/2 Centavos. This coin looks to be very well struck from relatively fresh dies, although the planchet alloy is streaky. I feel quite fortunate that this coin survived through the years without having been cleaned. The NGC grade of MS62 is appropriate.
Date acquired: 10/6/2007 (raw coin)
Date graded: 10/28/2015 (self submitted to NGC)
References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, the COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.
Rev. 9/21/2017
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| Slot: |
1918(P) 5C |
| Origin/Country: |
ECUADOR |
| Design Description: |
|
| Item Description: |
5C 1918 KM-60.2 |
| Grade: |
NGC MS 65 |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
Ecuador - 1918 - 5 Centavos - (KM #60.2, EC #131) - Mintage: 7,980,000
Ecuador began adopting a decimal coinage system in 1874 with the minting of one and two centavo coins at the Mint in Birmingham, England. The transition was completed on March 22, 1884 with the creation of the silver sucre coin which was equivalent to 100 centavos. The sucre remained the official unit of currency in Ecuador for 116 years until the President of Ecuador announced on January 9, 2000 that the US dollar would be adopted as Ecuador's official currency.
These coins were minted for the "Repuplica Del Ecuador" by the Philadelphia mint and were only minted in 1917 and 1918. The 1918 issue outnumbers the 1917 issue by nearly a factor of 7. Despite the significantly higher mintage, these coins circulated heavily and are nearly as difficult to acquire in mint state as the 1917.
Obverse
These coins were minted for the "Republica Del Ecuador" by the Philadelphia mint, however no mint marks were used on the minor coinage produced for Ecuador in Philadelphia. Ecuador dictated the various elements that of their coat of arms, but the actual rendering of these elements by the various mints which produced their coins can vary greatly from mint to mint. In this case the central elements of the ship, water and mountain look more like an ocean going vessel sailing away from a mountainous coastline rather than the river steamship Guayas, sailing the Guayas river with the snow capped Chimborazo volcano in the distant background. There is also no Caduceus appearing as a mast on the ship, an aspect which seems to have eluded all but one mint. The following is a depiction of the 1841 steamship Guayas for comparison:
Reverse
The reverse of this coin is very simple, containing only the denomination CINCO CENTAVOS (5 Centavos) surrounded by a Laurel wreath.
This coin
This is a spectacular looking coin in hand and has nearly prooflike surfaces. All of the lettering and devices are sharp and exceptionally well defined. The high point detail is exceptional. Note specifically the head and texturing of the neck of the condor on the obverse. The sun, side of the ship and the ocean waves are also fully struck and highly detailed. Based on the surface luster and crisp details, this coin was obviously struck from a fresh pair of dies. There are very few marks on the devices or fields. The only distracting element is the streaky planchet, but this is a very common characteristic of copper nickel coins struck by the U.S. mints from 1917-1919. The grade is well deserved.
Date acquired: 5/3/2016 (raw coin)
Date graded: 9/28/2016 (self submitted to NGC)
Date regraded: 9/4/2018 (resubmitted to NGC)
References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, the COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.
Rev. 9/5/2018
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| Slot: |
1918(P) 10C |
| Origin/Country: |
ECUADOR |
| Design Description: |
|
| Item Description: |
10C 1918 KM-62 |
| Grade: |
NGC MS 61 |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
Ecuador - 1918 - 10 Centavos - (KM #62, EC #159 - Mintage: 1,000,000
Ecuador began adopting a decimal coinage system in 1874 with the minting of one and two centavo coins at the Mint in Birmingham, England. The transition was completed on March 22, 1884 with the creation of the silver sucre coin which was equivalent to 100 centavos. The sucre remained the official unit of currency in Ecuador for 116 years until the President of Ecuador announced on January 9, 2000 that the US dollar would be adopted as Ecuador's official currency.
These coins were minted for the "Repuplica Del Ecuador" by the Philadelphia mint. This coin is a one year type with a relatively low mintage. Despite the mintage, these coins are not nearly as difficult to obtain in mint state as the others minted in 1917 and 1918.
Obverse
These coins were minted for the "Republica Del Ecuador" by the Philadelphia mint, however no mint marks were used on the minor coinage produced for Ecuador in Philadelphia. Ecuador dictated the various elements that of their coat of arms, but the actual rendering of these elements by the various mints which produced their coins can vary greatly from mint to mint. In this case the central elements of the ship, water and mountain look more like an ocean going vessel sailing away from a mountainous coastline rather than the river steamship Guayas, sailing the Guayas river with the snow capped Chimborazo volcano in the distant background. There is also no Caduceus appearing as a mast on the ship, an aspect which seems to have eluded all but one mint. The following is a depiction of the 1841 steamship Guayas for comparison:
Reverse
The reverse of this coin is very simple, containing only the denomination DIEZ CENTAVOS (10 Centavos) surrounded by a Laurel wreath.
This coin
These coins circulated well, so uncirculated examples of this issue are very difficult to obtain. I was pleased to find this one and very happy that it had not been cleaned and received a grade of MS61.
Date acquired: 10/6/2007 (raw coin)
Date graded: 10/28/2015 (self submitted to NGC)
References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, the COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.
Rev. 9/21/2017
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| Slot: |
1919 5C 3 BERRIES SP (Providence) |
| Origin/Country: |
ECUADOR |
| Design Description: |
R-3E-SH-N--3B |
| Item Description: |
5C 1919 3 BERRIES KM-63 |
| Grade: |
NGC SP 65 CAMEO |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
Ecuador - 1919 (Providence Mint) - 5 Centavos - (KM #63, EC #132) - Production Mintage: 12,000,000
Exact specimen mintage: unknown
History
These coins were minted for the "Republica Del Ecuador" by the Providence Mint, a division of Gorham Manufacturing Company in Providence Rhode Island. Known primarily for producing high-quality sterling silverware and holloware, they also produced silver and base metal coins for several foreign countries including Ecuador, Serbia, and Cuba. The most notable of these are the several varieties of 1897 Cuban "Souvenir Pesos", and the 1898 Cuban Peso. It is interesting to note that the engravers at the Providence mint did the best job depicting the steamship Guayas, the Guayas River and the snow capped Chimborazo volcano at the center of the coat of arms. They are probably the only engravers to correctly depict a Caduceus as the main mast of the ship.
Varieties
I became interested in this "one year type" in 2004, and I have acquired quite a few of these coins over the years since. Krause & Mishler identifiy three main varieties, but I have come to realize that there are many more significant die varieties than that. The ones that everyone knows are all linked to the configuration of berries directly to the left of the C in CENTAVOS on the reverse. They are as follows:
- 3 berries to left of C on reverse. Most common variety.
- 4 berries tightly grouped to left of C on reverse. (aka 4 Berries tight) Sub-varieties exist.
- 4 berries loosely grouped to left of C on reverse. (aka 4 Berries loose) This variety is extremely rare.
In addition to these, I have noticed that there are at least three sub-varieties of the grouping of the 4 berries tight variety. They exist in square and diamond configurations and there are two types of diamond patterns. The diamond pattern being much more common than the square pattern. Varieties also exist in the style and positioning of the letters in the word CENTAVOS.
All of the focus has been on the varieties exhibited on the reverse, but there are very noticeable varieties on the obverse as well. The four main characteristics of the obverse that are easily identifiable are:
- The overall style of the design (Refined or Crude)
- The number and style of tail feathers on the condor perched atop the coat of arms.
- The size and position of the sun just below the condor.
- The presence or absence of the backstay on the mizzenmast of the ship.
Combine all of the obverse and reverse varieties, and one could define a collection similar to all of the varieties known for the 1878 8TF Morgan Dollar!
Based on the large number of die varieties and style of the design, I have come to the conclusion that there was probably no master hub used and that each die was very likely hand cut.
Until this coin, NGC had certified 4 of the 3 Berry variety coins as "Specimen", but I had only seen photos of two of them which had appeared in Heritage auctions over the years. I acquired this coin because it appeared very well struck and also appeared to have cameo devices, but I never imagined it would garner an SP grade. Needless to say, I was quite pleased with the grade, but I still do not know exactly what distinguishes these specimen coins from the normal production strike coins since not all of the specimen pieces were struck from the same obverse die. I most certainly intend to ask NGC though the next time I go to the ANA convention..
This coin
This particular coin is exceptionally well struck with very pleasing cameo devices. As of this revision, NGC has graded only 4 others as Specimen, 3 at SP63, and 1 at SP67. This is the one and only example to receive a cameo designation at SP65CA. PCGS has graded only one, but with a Proof designation as PR66. Having studied two of the other NGC specimen coins, I find it interesting that they do not all have the same obverse characteristics, which means that these specimen pieces were not all struck from the same die. So exactly what does it mean to be a specimen coin? For additional high resolution images, check out the verification page: NGC 2882769-002
Obverse characteristics are:
Overall design: ............Refined
Condor Tail Feathers: 3, even
Sun Size: ......................Small, slightly above center
Mizzenmast Backstay: No
Date acquired: 9/20/2020 (raw coin)
Date graded: 8/19/2022 (self submitted to NGC)
References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, the COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.
Rev. 11/19/2022
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| Slot: |
1919 5C 3 BERRIES (Providence) |
| Origin/Country: |
ECUADOR |
| Design Description: |
R-3E-SH-N--3B |
| Item Description: |
5C 1919 3 BERRIES KM-63 |
| Grade: |
NGC MS 66 |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
Ecuador - 1919 (Providence Mint) - 5 Centavos - (KM #63, EC #132) - Mintage: 12,000,000
History
These coins were minted for the "Republica Del Ecuador" by the Providence Mint, a division of Gorham Manufacturing Company in Providence Rhode Island. Known primarily for producing high-quality sterling silverware and holloware, they also produced silver and base metal coins for several foreign countries including Ecuador, Serbia, and Cuba. The most notable of these are the several varieties of 1897 Cuban "Souvenir Pesos", and the 1898 Cuban Peso. It is interesting to note that the engravers at the Providence mint did the best job depicting the steamship Guayas, the Guayas River and the snow capped Chimborazo volcano at the center of the coat of arms. They are probably the only engravers to correctly depict a Caduceus as the main mast of the ship.
Varieties
I became interested in this "one year type" in 2004, and I have acquired quite a few of these coins over the years since. Krause & Mishler identifiy three main varieties, but I have come to realize that there are many more significant die varieties than that. The ones that everyone knows are all linked to the configuration of berries directly to the left of the C in CENTAVOS on the reverse. They are as follows:
- 3 berries to left of C on reverse. Most common variety.
- 4 berries tightly grouped to left of C on reverse. (aka 4 Berries tight) Sub-varieties exist.
- 4 berries loosely grouped to left of C on reverse. (aka 4 Berries loose) This variety is extremely rare.
In addition to these, I have noticed that there are at least three sub-varieties of the grouping of the 4 berries tight variety. They exist in square and diamond configurations and there are two types of diamond patterns. The diamond pattern being much more common than the square pattern. Varieties also exist in the style and positioning of the letters in the word CENTAVOS.
All of the focus has been on the varieties exhibited on the reverse, but there are very noticeable varieties on the obverse as well. The four main characteristics of the obverse that are easily identifiable are:
- The overall style of the design (Refined or Crude)
- The number and style of tail feathers on the condor perched atop the coat of arms.
- The size and position of the sun just below the condor.
- The presence or absence of the backstay on the mizzenmast of the ship.
Combine all of the obverse and reverse varieties, and one could define a collection similar to all of the varieties known for the 1878 8TF Morgan Dollar!
Based on the large number of die varieties and style of the design, I have come to the conclusion that there was probably no master hub used and that each die was very likely hand cut.
NGC has certified 4 of the 3 Berry variety coins as "Specimen", but I have never seen one of these, so I do not know what distinguishes these specimen coins from the normal production strike coins.
This coin
This particular coin is an exceptionally high quality example of the most common 3 Berry variety. As of this revision, there is only one other graded MS66 by NGC with none higher. PCGS has none graded higher than MS64.
Obverse characteristics are:
Overall design: ............Refined
Condor Tail Feathers: 3, even
Sun Size: ......................Small, slightly above center
Mizzenmast Backstay: No
Date acquired: 5/24/2016 (already graded by NGC)
References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, the COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.
Rev. 11/19/2018
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| Slot: |
1919 5C 4 BERRIES (Tight, Square)(Providence) |
| Origin/Country: |
ECUADOR |
| Design Description: |
R-4E-LC-N--4B-TS |
| Item Description: |
5C 1919 4 BERRIES KM-63 TIGHT BERRY CLUSTER (square) |
| Grade: |
NGC MS 64 |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
Ecuador - 1919 (Providence Mint) - 5 Centavos (4 Berries tight) - (KM #63, EC #134)
Total Mintage: 12,000,000 (all varieties)
History
These coins were minted for the "Republica Del Ecuador" by the Providence Mint, a division of Gorham Manufacturing Company in Providence Rhode Island. Known primarily for producing high-quality sterling silverware and holloware, they also produced silver and base metal coins for several foreign countries including Ecuador, Serbia, and Cuba. The most notable of these are the several varieties of 1897 Cuban "Souvenir Pesos", and the 1898 Cuban Peso. It is interesting to note that the engravers at the Providence mint did the best job depicting the steamship Guayas, the Guayas River and the snow capped Chimborazo volcano at the center of the coat of arms. They are probably the only engravers to correctly depict a Caduceus as the main mast of the ship.
Varieties
I became interested in this "one year type" in 2004, and I have acquired quite a few of these coins over the years since. Krause & Mishler identifiy three main varieties, but I have come to realize that there are many more significant die varieties than that. The ones that everyone knows are all linked to the configuration of berries directly to the left of the C in CENTAVOS on the reverse. They are as follows:
- 3 berries to left of C on reverse. Most common variety.
- 4 berries tightly grouped to left of C on reverse. (aka 4 Berries tight) Sub-varieties exist.
- 4 berries loosely grouped to left of C on reverse. (aka 4 Berries loose) This variety is extremely rare.
In addition to these, I have noticed that there are at least three sub-varieties of the grouping of the 4 berries tight variety. They exist in square and diamond configurations and there are two types of diamond patterns. The diamond pattern being much more common than the square pattern. Varieties also exist in the style and positioning of the letters in the word CENTAVOS.
All of the focus has been on the varieties exhibited on the reverse, but there are very noticeable varieties on the obverse as well. The four main characteristics of the obverse that are easily identifiable are:
- The overall style of the design (Refined or Crude)
- The number and style of tail feathers on the condor perched atop the coat of arms.
- The size and position of the sun just below the condor.
- The presence or absence of the backstay on the mizzenmast of the ship.
Combine all of the obverse and reverse varieties, and one could define a collection similar to all of the varieties known for the 1878 8TF Morgan Dollar!
Based on the large number of die varieties and style of the design, I have come to the conclusion that there was probably no master hub used and that each die was very likely hand cut.
This coin
This particular coin is an example of the 4 Berries tight variety with a square shaped grouping of the 4 berries. This is the rarer of the two sub-varieties I am aware of.
Obverse characteristics are:
Overall design: ............Refined
Condor Tail Feathers: 4, even ends
Sun Size: ......................Large, centered
Mizzenmast Backstay: No
Date acquired: 11/29/2013 (already graded by NGC)
Date regraded: 9/4/2018 (MS63 ==> MS64)
References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, the COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.
Rev. 9/25/2023
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| Slot: |
1919 5C 4 BERRIES (Loose)(Providence) |
| Origin/Country: |
ECUADOR |
| Design Description: |
R-3E-LH-N--4B-L |
| Item Description: |
5C 1919 4 BERRIES KM-63 LOOSE BERRY CLUSTER |
| Grade: |
NGC AU 50 |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
Ecuador - 1919 (Providence Mint) - 5 Centavos (4 Berries, loose) - (KM #63, EC #133)
Total Mintage: 12,000,000 (all varieties)
History
These coins were minted for the "Republica Del Ecuador" by the Providence Mint, a division of Gorham Manufacturing Company in Providence Rhode Island. Known primarily for producing high-quality sterling silverware and holloware, they also produced silver and base metal coins for several foreign countries including Ecuador, Serbia, and Cuba. The most notable of these are the several varieties of 1897 Cuban "Souvenir Pesos", and the 1898 Cuban Peso. It is interesting to note that the engravers at the Providence mint did the best job depicting the steamship Guayas, the Guayas River and the snow capped Chimborazo volcano at the center of the coat of arms. They are probably the only engravers to correctly depict a Caduceus as the main mast of the ship.
Varieties
I became interested in this "one year type" in 2004, and I have acquired quite a few of these coins over the years since. Krause & Mishler identifiy three main varieties, but I have come to realize that there are many more significant die varieties than that. The ones that everyone knows are all linked to the configuration of berries directly to the left of the C in CENTAVOS on the reverse. They are as follows:
- 3 berries to left of C on reverse. Most common variety.
- 4 berries tightly grouped to left of C on reverse. (aka 4 Berries tight) Sub-varieties exist.
- 4 berries loosely grouped to left of C on reverse. (aka 4 Berries loose) This variety is extremely rare.
In addition to these, I have noticed that there are at least three sub-varieties of the grouping of the 4 berries tight variety. They exist in square and diamond configurations and there are two types of diamond patterns. The diamond pattern being much more common than the square pattern. Varieties also exist in the style and positioning of the letters in the word CENTAVOS.
All of the focus has been on the varieties exhibited on the reverse, but there are very noticeable varieties on the obverse as well. The four main characteristics of the obverse that are easily identifiable are:
- The overall style of the design (Refined or Crude)
- The number and style of tail feathers on the condor perched atop the coat of arms.
- The size and position of the sun just below the condor.
- The presence or absence of the backstay on the mizzenmast of the ship.
Combine all of the obverse and reverse varieties, and one could define a collection similar to all of the varieties known for the 1878 8TF Morgan Dollar!
Based on the large number of die varieties and style of the design, I have come to the conclusion that there was probably no master hub used and that each die was very likely hand cut.
This coin
This particular coin is the only example I have ever seen of the extremely rare 4 Berries loose variety. Unfortunately, this coin has seen circulation and had some surface dirt issues. It originally received a grade of VF-Details from NGC, but after conservation by NCS it received a grade of AU50. It also took several years, but I was finally able to convince NGC to identify the "loose" 4 berry sub-type on the label, although it is not yet cataloged as a distinct variety.
Obverse characteristics are:
Overall design: ............Refined
Condor Tail Feathers: 3, even ends
Sun Size: ......................Large, high
Mizzenmast Backstay: No
Date acquired: 2/17/2007 (raw coin)
Date graded: 10/28/2015 (self submitted to NGC)
Date regraded: 9/25/2018 (resubmitted to MS at NGC for upgrade and proper designation as 4 Berry Loose variety)
References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, the COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.
Rev. 11/19/2018
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| Slot: |
1919 10C (Providence) |
| Origin/Country: |
ECUADOR |
| Design Description: |
|
| Item Description: |
10C 1919 KM-64 |
| Grade: |
NGC MS 66 |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
Ecuador - 1919 (Providence Mint) - 10 Centavos - (KM #64, EC #160) - Mintage: 2,000,000
History
These coins were minted for the "Repuplica Del Ecuador" by the Providence Mint, a division of Gorham Manufacturing Company in Providence Rhode Island. Known primarily for producing high-quality sterling silverware and holloware, they also produced silver and base metal coins for several foreign countries including Ecuador, Serbia, and Cuba. The most notable of these are the several varieties of 1897 Cuban "Souvenir Pesos", and the 1898 Cuban Peso. It is interesting to note that the engravers at the Providence mint did a much better job than all of the rest depicting the elements of the Ecuadorian coat of arms:
--- The steamship Guayas is properly depicted, including the use of a Caduceus for the mast which all others ignored.
--- The Guayas River actually looks as though it is a river, not an ocean.
--- The Chimborazo volcano appears to be snow capped.
--- The draped flags on each side utilize tincture patterns for the actual flag colors. From the outside progressing inward:
------ Dotted pattern represents gold or yellow (Or)
------ Vertical bar pattern represents red (Gules)
------ Horizontal bar pattern represents blue (Azure)
Varieties
I became interested in this "one year type" in 2004, and I have acquired quite a few of these coins over the years since. Unlike the companion 5 Centavos, Krause & Mishler identify no varieties, but proof/specimen examples may exist.Unlike their 5 Centavo counterparts, no "4 berry" examples have been identified. However, this denomination does display very similar obverse varieties. The four main characteristics of the obverse that are easily identifiable are:
- The overall style of the design (Refined or Crude)
- The number and style of tail feathers on the condor perched atop the coat of arms.
- The size and position of the sun just below the condor.
- The presence or absence of the backstay on the mizzenmast of the ship.
On the 5 Centavos coins, a backstay is either absent or present, On the 10 Centavos however, there can also be variations on both connection points of the backstay. The top of the backstay may be connected at or above the junction of the mizzenmast and the yardarm, and the bottom of the backstay may be connected at the aft end of the ship at the point where it angles upwards or past that point. I don't have enough of these coins to do a full study, but the number of varieties should be significantly less than of the 5 Centavos coins since the mintage is much smaller.
Based on the style of the design and the number of obverse varieties, there was probably no master hub used and each die was very likely hand cut.
This Coin
This particular coin is a very beautiful and excellently preserved example of this one year type. It is one of only three graded MS66 by NGC with none finer.
The vast majority of high grade, uncirculated examples look exactly like this one, complete with obverse and reverse die cracks, and that's no coincidence. An entire roll of uncirculated 1919 10 Centavos coins was discovered in Providence Rhode Island in the Fall of 2007 and they were put up for sale on eBay. The coins were sold off individually until the supply was depleted. I managed to acquire 3 at the time and eventually had them graded. Two graded MS65 and one one at MS64. Alas, this MS66 specimen went to someone else and I acquired it after it had been graded.
Date acquired: 10/5/2023 (already graded by NGC)
References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, The COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.
Herrmann, Gary (CoinsByGary), Tincture in Heraldry, NGC Journal Entry, February 24, 2019.
Wikipedia, Tincture (heraldry), viewed: October 13, 2023.
Rev. 10/13/2023
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| Slot: |
1928(P) 1C |
| Origin/Country: |
ECUADOR |
| Design Description: |
|
| Item Description: |
1C 1928 KM-67 |
| Grade: |
NGC MS 65 RD |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
Ecuador - 1 Centavo - (KM #67, EC #113) - Mintage 2,016,000
Although these coins are all dated 1928, they were actually minted in April and May of 1929.
April...1,050,000
May........966,000
Ecuador began adopting a decimal coinage system in 1874 with the minting of one and two centavo coins at the Mint in Birmingham, England. The transition was completed on March 22, 1884 with the creation of the silver sucre coin which was equivalent to 100 centavos. The sucre remained the official unit of currency in Ecuador for 116 years until the President of Ecuador announced on January 9, 2000 that the US dollar would be adopted as Ecuador's official currency.
Ecuadorian President Isidro Ayora introduced a new monetary system in 1927 based on a reduced size, weight, and fineness sucre. In 1928, the country had the U.S. mint produce seven different denominations ranging from one centavo to two sucres. A gold Condor, (equivalent to 25 sucres) was also minted by the Birmingham mint making a total of eight different denominations minted for that year. The new sucre was nicknamed the Ayora after the President. Likewise, the new silver 50 centavos coin became known as the Lauritas after his wife Laura. The Sucre was worth 20 U.S. cents at the time.
The Ecuadorian government had contracted with the U.S. Mint for a total of 34,500,000 coins of various denominations to be struck at Philadelphia, all dated 1928. The mint struck these coins "at their convenience" starting with the silver 2 Sucres, 1 Sucre, and 50 centavos in early 1928 through August or September. The nickel 10, 5, and 2 1/2 centavos coins were struck next from October 1928 through April 1929, and finally the one centavo coins in April and May of 1929. The requested mintage of all denominations was fully struck with the exception of the one centavos. Only 2,016,000 of the requested 5,000,000 were actually struck. The centavos were shipped in 144 boxes to the Banco Centraol del Ecuador, Guayaquil by The Guaranty Trust Company of New York sometime between the beginning of June and the end of July 1929. This was the final shipment of 12 for all of the coins dated 1928.
Obverse
These coins were minted for the "Republica Del Ecuador" by the Philadelphia mint, however no mint marks were used on the minor coinage produced for Ecuador in Philadelphia. Ecuador dictated the various elements of their coat of arms, but the actual rendering of these elements by the various mints which produced their coins can vary greatly from mint to mint. In this case the central elements of the ship, water and mountain look more like an ocean going vessel sailing away from a mountainous coastline rather than the river steamship Guayas, sailing the Guayas river with the snow capped Chimborazo volcano in the distant background. There is also no Caduceus appearing as a mast on the ship, an aspect which seems to have eluded all but one mint. The following is a depiction of the 1841 steamship Guayas for comparison:
Reverse
The reverse of this coin is very simple, containing only the denomination 1 CENTAVO surrounded by a Laurel wreath.
This coin
This coin was purchased raw and self submitted to NGC. The first time I sent it in, it came back in a bag with a label proclaiming it as having been lacquered. I did some research, and found that it was not uncommon for coins of this era to be lacquered in order to preserve their color, but that it is fairly easy to remove. I sent it back to NGC with a stop at NCS for conservation. The second time, this beautiful MS65RD coin came back. The lacquer that had darkened over time preserved the original copper color, and it looks like it just popped out of the press. As of this revision, the NGC population in MS65RD is 4 with none finer, and only one with a higher numeric grade at MS66RB. It is a beautiful coin and well worth the second trip to Florida.
Date acquired: 8/26/2007
Date graded: 11/12/2012 (self submitted to NGC)
References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, the COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.
"Shipping Coins to Ecuador", The Numismatist February, 1929, p. 63.
"Guaranty Trust Company Ships Coins to Ecuador", The Numismatist August, 1929, p. 531.
Rev. 6/22/2020
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