Alfonso XII had been on the Spanish throne only two years when this 5 Pesetas left the Madrid mint in 1877, and the young king's crown-sized silver duros are the coins that carried the restored Bourbon monarchy into daily commerce. The piece belongs to the DEM assayer issue, marked by the D E and M initials flanking the arms on the reverse. Most of these heavy silver crowns circulated hard across Spain and its remaining overseas territories, so survivors with sharp hair detail and original surfaces are far less common than the mintage alone suggests. This one also carries a Grundy Collection pedigree on the NGC label.

The obverse shows the bare-headed bust of Alfonso XII facing left, with the thick waved hair that collectors know as the pelon portrait, surrounded by the legend ALFONSO XII POR LA G. DE DIOS and the 1877 date below between stars. Engraving in the hair and sideburns is crisp, while the young king's profile stands in sharp relief against even, lightly toned fields. The reverse carries the crowned Spanish arms with the quarters of Castile, Leon, Aragon, Navarre and the Bourbon fleurs-de-lis, all framed by the Pillars of Hercules and the PLUS ULTRA ribbon. REY CONST. DE ESPANA arcs above, with the 5 PESETAS denomination below and the assayer initials to either side.

NGC graded this duro AU-58, a hair short of Mint State, with only the lightest friction on the high points of the hair and the crown. Warm gray and russet toning covers both sides and settles into the legends, and the surfaces keep much of their original luster beneath it. At this grade the coin offers the look of a Mint State example at a fraction of the cost, and the named collection pedigree adds a nice touch of provenance. A welcome addition to any collection of Spanish crown silver or Alfonso XII coinage. The coin pictured is the exact coin you will receive.

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