8 Escudos Gold Coin, Felipe V, 1735 (Mexico Mint)

If you inherited a heavy gold coin dated 1735 with a Spanish king's portrait or a cross-and-shield design, you may have a Felipe V 8 escudos struck at the Mexico City mint. This is a genuinely valuable piece. It carries almost 0.76 troy ounces of gold, which alone puts its floor in the low thousands of dollars, and a nice example can bring far more.

These coins, called "onzas" in the colonial Spanish system, were the highest denomination in circulation. That makes them scarce, sought after, and, unfortunately, heavily counterfeited. Here is what a real 1735 8 escudos is worth in 2026 and how to check yours.

What you actually have

The 1735 8 escudos belongs to the reign of Felipe V (second period). It was minted in Mexico City, which was the main silver and gold supplier of the Spanish Empire at the time. The letters MF on the coin are the assayer's initials, the official who certified the metal's fineness.

Key specs, exactly as cataloged:

How much is a 1735 8 escudos worth?

Start with the metal. At .875 fineness and 27.01 g, the coin holds roughly 0.76 troy ounces of pure gold. That gold content sets the absolute floor: even a worn, damaged example is worth its melt value, which runs into the thousands of dollars depending on the gold price on the day you check.

But collectors pay well above melt for a genuine, well-preserved colonial 8 escudos. Value climbs sharply with grade (how much original detail survives), strike quality, and whether a service like NGC or PCGS has authenticated and graded it.

As a working range:

• Heavily worn or damaged: near melt value, in the low thousands of dollars.
• Circulated with clear detail: several thousand dollars, driven by demand for early Mexico-mint gold.
• High grade or certified Mint State: five figures is realistic for the right coin.

Early 18th-century Mexico-mint gold in strong grades regularly clears well past melt at Heritage and Stack's Bowers auctions. The exact number for your coin depends on condition and authentication, so get it graded before you assume a figure.

Is it rare?

Rare enough to matter. The 8 escudos was the top denomination, so far fewer were struck and survived than smaller silver coins. A single mint year like 1735 with the MF assayer is a specific, collectible combination. But "rare" does not mean priceless. The value is anchored by its gold and lifted by grade and demand, not by age alone.

The counterfeit problem, read this first

Because these coins are worth real money, they are among the most faked Mexican pieces on the market. Before you get excited or spend anything, verify the basics:

1. Weigh it. Use a jewelry scale. A genuine coin should be very close to 27.01 g. A lightweight coin is a red flag.
2. Measure it. Diameter should be about 37 mm, with a diagonal reeded edge.
3. Study the engraving. Compare the mint mark, assayer initials (MF), and the style of the design against known genuine examples. Modern fakes often get the lettering and portrait style subtly wrong.
4. Be suspicious of a bargain. Any offer well below the coin's gold value is almost certainly a fake or a scam.

The only way to be certain on a coin this valuable is third-party authentication. Send it to NGC or PCGS, or take it to a verified dealer who will examine it in person. Do not clean it, cleaning destroys value.

Where to sell it (and get a fair price)

Do not dump a gold coin on the first social-media buyer. Your safest options:

• A verified numismatic dealer from the Pesoteca shop directory, who can appraise it on the spot and buy without a middleman's markup.
• The Pesoteca buy-and-sell forum, where collectors trade among themselves.

Because this is a precious-metal coin, only deal with someone who will show or inspect the piece and confirm its weight in front of you. Photograph the obverse, reverse, and edge, note the grade, and check the value range above before you agree to any price.

Want a second opinion before you sell? Post clear photos on the Pesoteca forum and let collectors weigh in on authenticity and grade first.

Eight escudos Philip V second period, 1735, Mexico mint. First full year of the interim viceregal administration of Juan Antonio de Vizarrón y Eguiarreta, archbishop of Mexico and viceroy from 1734. In Spain, Ensenada was arriving at court, and in Naples Charles was establishing himself as king, the future Charles III. The onza weighs 27.06 grams with the 0.916 fineness typical of the early Mexican columnario. Produced by mill press with a round blank, a technique introduced in 1732 after two centuries of cob (macuquina). The reverse shows the pair of crowned Pillars of Hercules over the sea with the PLVS VLTRA banners, declarative iconography of the Spanish overseas empire. The obverse bears the crowned royal shield with the legend PHILIP V DEI GRATIA. The edge was protected with mechanical guarding or an inscription that hindered clipping. Pieces of 1735 form part of the launch of the Mexican columnario under an unusual viceroy, an archbishop with dual civil and ecclesiastical command for six years. The technical and gold fineness standardization was consolidated only three years after the mint's reform.