Watch List notes:

Ecuador - 8 Escudos 1843 MV, Gold Quito mint. Liberty head left. Rev. radiant sun and Zodiac over three mountain peaks.Fr. 3; KM. 23.2.Issued between 1838 and 1843, this gold-piece has often been gone by the name of the Ecuadorian 8 Escudos doubloon. While this designation is of course an anachronism, as the coin was minted long after Ecuador achieved its independence, it does, interestingly, have a literary connotation. The 8 Escudos doubloon is particularly renowned for making an appearance in Herman Mellville's Moby Dick. The coin is first mentioned in the 36th chapter of the novel in which the gold-piece is revered for its aesthetic qualities, especially the majestic reverse with a sun rising above the volcanic mountains, which according to Captain Ahab, the protagonist of the novel, illustrates the rich history of Ecuador and its capital city, Quito. However, the 8 escudos also carries additional layer of meaning in the narrative of the book, as the captain a 60 chapters later nails it to the mast of his Pequod ship, promising it to hand it as a reward for the first man to avenge the sperm-whale that robbed him of his left leg.
After the publication of Moby dick, Ecuadorian 8 escudos, has entered the public consciousness as "the Moby Dick Coin," being arguably one of the most famous numismatic items explored in a literary work.RR Good striking with an orange yellow tint. Some minor contact marks in the field and bust. Although not Mint-state, it remains undergraded in our opinion. NGC AU53