Extremely Rare Chilean Pattern Peso

Triton XVI, Lot: 1355. Estimate $20000. Sold for $24000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CHILE, Republic. 1818-present. AR Pattern Peso. (38mm, 1h). Santiago mint. Dies by J.S. Portales. Dated 1819. CHILE INDEPENDIENTE · SANTIAGO ·, mountain range with erupting volcano at center; 1819 in exergue / Armillary sphere on pedastal; above, star shining down and banner inscribed LIBERTAD; all within garter inscribed UNION Y FUERZO ·. J.T. Medina, Las Monedas Chilenas (1902), p. 179; KM Pn1. In NGC encapsulation graded MS 62. Toned. Extremely rare, and the finest of perhaps three known.

Designed by the superintendent of the Santiago mint and ultimately rejected in favor of the earlier standard design, this pattern is today one of the classic rarities of Chilean coinage. The obverse captures the natural beauty of the nation with a picturesque mountain chain complete with erupting volcano, while the reverse shows an armillary sphere, symbolic of the New World, resting atop a column.