Spanish 8 Reales

About Spanish 8 Reales

The columnarios or pillar dollar, featuring two columns representing the Pillars of Hercules wrapped with a banner. This design is believed to be the origin of the dollar sign. Minted in Mexico City, Lima, Potosi, and other colonial mints. The 8 reales coin was the workhorse of global trade in the 18th century. Found in shipwrecks throughout the Caribbean and Pacific. The Mexico City mint mark Mo is the most common.