1612–1616 Philip III Spanish 8 Reales Cob – Assayer Q

A beautiful early 17th-century Spanish silver 8 Reales cob, struck during the reign of Philip III of Spain and dating to approximately 1612–1616. This example carries the Assayer Q attribution and retains impressive detail across both sides.

The 8 Reales — famously known as the Spanish “Piece of Eight” — became one of the most important silver coins in world history. These large silver coins circulated across the Spanish Empire and traveled aboard treasure fleets throughout Europe, the Americas, and Asia.

One side displays the classic quartered cross with the castles of Castile and lions of León, while the opposite side features the impressive crowned Habsburg shield, representing the territories controlled by the Spanish monarchy.

Like all genuine Spanish cobs of the period, this coin was individually made by hand. Silver was cut to the required weight before being struck between dies with a hammer, resulting in the irregular shape and completely unique strike seen here.

A substantial Piece of Eight more than four centuries old, dating to the age of Spanish treasure galleons, colonial expansion, and the beginnings of the legendary era of Caribbean piracy.