Owner Comments:
I have a nice mint state 1859 I will be submitting shortly to NGC. Should grade 62/63.
1859 is the first year of the Real, a transitional type that lived a short existence of three years. Although it has the namesake of the older Reals, the transitionals are really Dineros in all but name. The Reals of 1826-1856 were valued at 12 1/2 Cents, thicker in diameter than Dineros, and quite thin at the edge. The Real, like the forthcoming Dinero, was valued at 10 Cents, and both coins are of the same size and weight. The seated liberty design of Robert Britten on the Real continued with the Dinero with some tweaking. In my view, the Reals had the more pleasing artistry.
The 1859 Real rarely comes up for auction in any grade. No one takes notice when it does, because most collectors are satisfied with an 1860 Real for the type. Underappreciated, along with the (even more rare) 1861 Real. Currently, two are graded at NGC, one in AU 58 and one in MS 63.