THE EARTHQUAKE OF GUATEMALA: TRACING HISTORY THROUGH NUMISMATICS
The mint of Guatemala was one of the important silver mints of Spanish American territories. Founded in 1525 Santiago de los Caballeros, known later as Antigua, was the former capital of Guatemala until it was devastated by a terrible earthquake by 1773 that turned the city into a ruin.
A new city, Nueva Guatemala was founded in a less exposed area and coin struck begun again.
All this is represented in Numismatics, by the symbols G (Guatemala) and NG (Nueva Guatemala / New Guatemala), as you will be able to appreciate in the coins that I enclosed, one prior to the earthquake and the other one struck after the desaster.
8 Reales from 1755 (Observe "G" mint mark surrounding the date)
8 Reales from 1820 (Observe mintmark "NG" at 8 o“clock)
