Owner Comments:
Mintage: Estimated at 100 (Soler y Llach).
NGC Census + PCGS Pop.: 3 total,* all at MS 64.
Weight 8.064515 g. Purity 900 fine. Diameter 24 mm.
Gold content: 0.23335 ounce.
Portrait of Alfonso XII at age 18.
"A small part of the newly struck 25 Pesetas [restrike] carries the date 18-76 in the stars." –Schlumberger
The restrike of 1961 began with the star date 18-76. A short time into the coinage, FNMT decided to use 19-61 or 19-62 in the stars, rather than 18-76, because 18-76 caused confusion with original coins minted in 1876. ("La reacuñación del año 61 pero con fecha en estrellas 18-76.... Al poco tiempo de la acuñación, la Fábrica decidió poner en las estrellas la fecha 61 ó 62." –Cayón)
This restrike variant is catalogued in Schlumberger (#281a), Calicó (#2a), and Cayón (#17925) but not in Krause-Mishler. This example has been graded and authenticated by NGC, and also has been authenticated by Millon & Associés in Marseille.
This restrike variant is identified as a restrike, and not an 1876 original, using the following methods that are valid for all 20- and 25-peseta originals and restrikes:
(1) The fleurs-de-lis that are embossed on the coin’s edge** are smaller in the restrikes, larger in the originals. –Aledón, Calicó, Cayón, Schlumberger.
(2) The edge fleurs-de-lis on all RESTRIKES are in POSITION B, that is, they are upright when the coin is set flat with its obverse (portrait; “heads”) side facing up, whereas the edge fleurs-de-lis on all ORIGINALS are in POSITION A, that is, they are upright when the coin is set flat with its reverse (crest; “tails”) side facing up. –JohnA
(3) Restrikes have a redder hue than originals. (“más rojizo” –Aledón, Vico-Segarra)
All three methods can be seen in the image (above right) that compares this restrike example with an original.
*Besides these 2, additional 1876(76) Restrike examples have been graded by NGC and PCGS but are not identified as "RESTRIKE" on their capsule labels and are assigned to censuses for originals. Submitters should alert NGC or PCGS if an example is a Restrike so that it can be correctly labeled and assigned.
**All 20- and 25-peseta Alfonso gold coins have fleurs-de-lis embossed on the edge using a triple-segment collar: 18 fleurs-de-lis in three segments on 20-peseta coins, and 27 fleurs-de-lis in three segments on 25-peseta coins. All 10-peseta and 100-peseta gold coins have reeded edges.