Columnarios
Columnarios (from Latin Columna 'column') is a name for a type of silver coin minted in the Spanish possessions in America in the 18th century , namely 8 reales pieces and their sub-units with a value of 4, 2, 1 and ½ real.
The name comes from the two pillars of Heracles depicted on the value side , each with a crown on the top. Between the pillars there are two globes with maps of the western and eastern hemisphere , spanned by the Spanish crown . The label is VTRAQUE VNUM ( Utraque unum - 'both in one'). It is borrowed from the letter to the Ephesians of the Apostle Paul and is an expression of the oneness of Spain with its colonies. The picture side bears the Spanish royal coat of arms and the inscription DG HISPAN ET IND REX ('By God's grace, King of Spain and India'). In addition to the main mint, Mexico, this type of coin was also minted in Guatemala, Lima / Peru, Santiago / Chile and Potosí / Bolivia. The weight and value of the Spanish 8 reales coin was based on the Joachimstaler and is considered the Spanish dollar ('Spanish thaler ') as the forerunner of the US dollar coin and was the preferred trade coin in East Asia until the 20th century , often there referred to as the "Mexican dollar" or " piaster ".
