OK, I am going through all my random foreign coins and trying to get them all identified and put in a book. Here is a coin that I can't identify. I know that it is from Mexico and is approximately 20mm in diameter. The coin appears to be silver. Clearly it is heavily worn. I would like to confirm that this is Mexican. Then, please help me identify the denomination, a range of years it was minted in, and it's composition. Thanks!!!
The design was used on the Mexican Reales coins from the 1830s to the 1890s. There are several mintmarks & varieties (like hundreds). The KM book doesn't list the diameters but it does list the weights. Here are some approximations: 1 Real = 3.388 gm 2 reales = 6.768 gms 4 reales = 13.54 gms 8 reales = 27.07 gms The date would be located at the bottom of the reverse under the cap (to the left of the 10D 20G which is visible on your coin). I cannot read the date on your coin.
It is a Mexican 1 reale. Silver fineness is 0.903. Mint appears to be Zacatecas. Don't know if you will be able to determine the date.
But unless otherwise specified, the photos are "life-size", and 20mm is right on, according to my calipers.
I didn't think I would be able to determine an exact date. I was thinking that maybe based on design markers a date range could be determined. Unfortunately, I know nothing about this design.
If it were an 8 reales, there are sources that would definitely be able to narrow it down by subtle differences in the design. However, I cannot think of a reference that would help for this denomination. One tedious way to do it yourself is find photos from 1 reales from different years (assuming Zacatecas mint) and compare case by case. Unfortunately, the coin may be too worn for that either.
Mexican 1 reale, probaly the Zacatecas mint. The smaller denomination coins always get it worse (wear). Here is mine from 1827. You may be able to box the era of the coin by the hungry buzzard on the rear, they change over time. Traci
Well, I'm not that worried about it. It's just an old worn coin that is going into a 2x2. But, could you tell me the years that this coin was minted...even if it's a 50 year range just so I can put that on the flip. I just want to be able to put "1820-1875" or something along those lines. Thanks!
Here's mine, a 4 Reales from Mexico. Got it off ebay, came all the way from the Phillipines. My coins approx size is like a franklin half dollar. :bow:
1821-1865 for that hungary buzzard. They went decimal in 1866. Traci Dip in Magna Glo then look at your coin under ultra violet light. The date may come up.
10 D 20 G means 10 dinero 20 granos 10 pence 20 grains apparently a standard of fineness against the German mark of the Middle Ages, according to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Currency_of_Spanish_America .9028 in decimals.
OK, I think I have just about all the information I was looking for. One more question though. It was mentioned earlier that it was thought this coin came from the Zacatecas mint. How can you tell, is there a mint mark somewhere or what?
On the cap and rays side, at about 9:00 there are the tops of some letters. The most visible are 1R, after that is the top of what looks like a Z, that is the mint designator.
No, I believe the consensus is that the eagle side is the obverse, since it is effectively the 'coat of arms'.
Yeah too bad you can't sell this old coinage as error coins. If you take a look at the fractionals, alot of them are very off center. No one cares as they'd prefer an off center US quarter. go figure
Ahhh Fret you noticed my 1 reale was off struck...Very astute. Perhaps a Loyalist was working at the mint that day. Traci