Lot 209

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Description:

RARE Ecuador Quito 8 Escudos gold coin, 1838 MV A Ecuador 8E Quito - NGC AU55
Certified and encapsulated by NGC - AU55.

Obverse Image: Bust of Liberty facing left. Obverse Text: EL PODER IN LA CONSTITUCION 21 Qs 8E 1838 Reverse Image: Sun over two mountains with a valley in between. Reverse Text: REPUBLICA DEL ECUADOR QUITO MV.

Historical information from Wikipedia: In numismatics , the Ecuadorian 8 escudo doubloon is known as the Moby Dick coin , minted in Quito , Ecuador , between 1838 and 1843, it is the one-ounce gold "sixteen dollar piece" that Captain Ahab nailed to the mast of the Pequod, promising her to the first man to "lift" Moby Dick .

The coin is first mentioned in Herman Melville 's novel Moby Dick , in chapter 36 "The Quarter Deck" and later at length in chapter 99 "The Doubloon". 1

It is often confused with the Spanish doubloon, but this coin was not struck by the Spanish crown or endorsed by the Spanish government. The Moby Dick coin was minted in the Republic of Ecuador, at the Quito Mint, several years after independence from Spain, so the term "Spanish" must be considered wrong in reference to this rare specimen.

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    Dimensions:
  • 1 3/8"Diam. 35.2 mm

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November 21, 2022 3:00 PM EST
Indianapolis, IN, US

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