Moby Doubloon

[ErnieN]

I acquired the attached Ecuador 4 Escudos in a Heritage auction this August and plan on including it in an exhibit in reference to the Doubloon in Herman Melville's Moby .  I realize that the coin described by Melville is an 8 Escudos, but the cost of the 8 far exceeds my budget.  (the designs on the 4 and 8 are the same)   I borrowed the Coins of Ecuador, by Dale Seppa and Michael Anderson from the ANA library and learned that  it was minted in the city of Quito, that the side with the mountains is considered the obverse, as it specifies the "Rebublica del Equador".  The mountains on the right are Guagua Pichincha and Ruco Pichincha In the native Inca language, Guaga translates to old and Ruco translates to baby. 

But I do not understand the letters used by Seppa: Y-16, FR-4, are they catalog numbers? if so which catalog?  My book indicates the reverse contains engravers initial "A", but contains no clue as to who "A" might be.  I also have not been able to determine what the initials F.P. on the obverse stand for.     

Any information or ideas as to where I might be able to find out answers to my questions would be greatly appreciated!!


Moby : or The Whale  by Herman Melville, published in 1851, from Chapter 99, The Doubloon:

"Now those noble golden coins of South America are as medals of the sun and tropic token-pieces. .. It so chanced that the doubloon of the Pequod was a most wealthy example of these things. On its round border it bore the letters, REPUBLICA DEL ECUADOR : QUITO. So this bright coin came from a country planted in the middle of the world, and beneath the great equator, and named after it; and it had been cast midway up the Andes, in the unwaning clime that knows no autumn.  Zoned by those letters you saw the likeness of three Andes' summits; from one a flame; a tower on another; on the third a crowing cock; while arching over all was a segment of the partitioned zodiac.   … The firm tower, that is Ahab; the Volcano, that is Ahab; the courageous, the undaunted , and  victorious fowl, that, too, is Ahab; all are Ahab; and this round gold is but the image of the rounder globe, which, like a magician’s glass, to each and every man in turn but mirrors back his own mysterious self."

[coinsarefun]

Wonderful coin. I don't know anything about it, but will poke around and see what I can find out.

[coinsarefun]

This is my first try at looking it up........
I think it does has something to do with catalog #'s maybe also designation of where it was minted?
Here is a link to where I found one simaliar to yours, different year

I do not pay the extra fee to belong to   http://www.coinarchives.com, but the pay section may have more information'
Hope I was a little help
 
Description:

Ecuador. 4 Escudos, 1837-FP-A. Fr-4; KM-19. Weight 0.3798 ounce    where yours is Y-16, FR-4,


 http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=859868&AucID=637&Lot=2895&Val=275b466e7a8e8651b890cec5d36576e6

[ErnieN]

Thanks for the link to a similar coin in the Goldberg auction.  Regarding the initials FP, the Seppa reference book that I have indicates the initials are of the assayer.  It states that the initials G.J. in the same position on other coins are those of Guillermo Jameson, assayer at the Quito mint.  However, it does not talk about initials F.P.  I have a theory that they may stand for Franciscan Province, based on the reference at the following link   http://www.jstor.org/pss/978217

[Deagle74]

Nice one Ernie, I just love South American Gold, beautiful reverse!!

Thanx 4 sharing,

Rok

[FilthyBroke]

Now there's one I haven't seen before.  Thanks for posting it.  Kinda cool to have it referenced in a famous story, too.


BTW, I have no idea as to the numbers, sorry. 

[mmarotta]

But I do not understand the letters used by Seppa: Y-16, FR-4, are they catalog numbers? if so which catalog?  My book indicates the reverse contains engravers initial "A", but contains no clue as to who "A" might be.  I also have not been able to determine what the initials F.P. on the obverse stand for. 

Y is for Yeoman, the same guy as did the Red Book.  His work, A Catalog of Modern World Coins1850-1954, is the basis for the Krause SCWC, which is why that book has Y numbers for most coins.  The Craig book for World Coins 1750- is the basis for the C numbers for older coins in the SCWC.

As for the rest, I am surprised at how little we know about these coins, or the coins of Ecuador generally.  For Mexico, we have the names of the Assayers and we know their initials, but not so here.

[ErnieN]

Thanks everybody
I contacted a dealer who specializes in Latin American coinage, Jeff Rubenstein.  He told me about a book, The Numismatic History of Ecuador, by Michael Anderson which was not in the ANA library.  I managed to get a copy and learned that the assayer was Felicisimo Pardo, plus a lot of other information I am including in an exhibit.  The book includes the presidential decrees authorizing the 4 and 8 escudos which describe them in great detail.  I am assembling an exhibit of "Great Coins in American Literature" that I am planning on showing at the Michigan State Numismatic Society fall show (Thanksgiving weekend) if anyone in in the neighborhood.