Spanish Gold Coins Value Retention – Escudos Vs. Doubloons
Spain has always been the country with magnificent history which at some point had been dominating all five existing (at that time known) continents of the world. It’s no wonder that Spanish gold coins are so popular among collectors and investors alike.
Spanish gold coins pieces are some of the most incredible examples of coin minting craftsmanship of the Old World that had existed centuries before the US started minting its coins. Spanish gold coins were often portrayed in historical novels and motion pictures in the association with pirates, lost treasure and sunken ships. The fascination with Spanish gold coin continues today not only due to their great gold content, historical significance but also due to their aesthetic appeal.
Some of the most significant coins produced by the Spaniards were without a doubt Spanish Doubloons. Originally, very first Spanish gold coins, Doubloons were made using very rudimentary and primitive methods and sized by hand to approximately fit to a desired size and weight. This produced characteristic odd rough shape that resembles as if a piece was literally cut from a coin, which is especially sought after by numismatists all over the world. The old Spanish doubloons were being minted roughly from the 17th to the 19th century and displayed coats of arms of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Later Doubloons acquired a rounder and more balanced shaped becoming one of the finest examples of European coin making industry of the Old World.
The smallest denomination of Spanish gold doubloon is one Spanish escudo; the escudo denomination doubles creating two, four and eight escudo coins accordingly. Doubloons due to their high value and denomination were handled mostly by Spanish noblemen and rich traders literally across the world. Spanish Doubloons did not see as much circulation compared to Escudos therefore displaying less wear than the latter. Therefore, the actual Doubloons value by far exceeds the value of Escudos not only due to their higher gold content but to better grade characteristics. In the modern world of numismatics, the terms escudos and doubloons are sometimes used interchangeably to refer to any Spanish old gold coins. The average price for the oldest Doubloons eBay gold coins ranges in the thousands.
Among modern day Spanish gold coins, collectors and investors can choose from a myriad of commemorative gold and silver euro coins. One of the notable modern Spanish coins is 100 Euro Gold Proof coin weighting 6.75 g issued by the Royal Spanish Mint in 2009. Despite Spain’s efforts to introduce their newer coins to the market, newer Spanish coins have not received a lot of interest among American collectors and investors and most of them still prefer old Spanish gold doubloons coins.
If you decided to add Spanish gold coins to your numismatic collection or investment portfolio, be careful to acquire coins only from trustworthy sources and respectable coin dealers that can accompany your purchases with proper certifications or shipwreck salvaged coins with proper documentation. This will help you purchase only authentic Spanish or French gold coins, especially if you are new to numismatics. If you are trying to invest in the physical gold content rather than the history behind a specific coin, the general rule is to stay away from historical gold coins and choose certified gold bullion coins to ensure their authenticity and decrease investment risk.