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Message:: [QUOTE="Armijo, post: 537064, member: 17493"]Here is some additional information... During the colonial period in Mexico (1535-1821) the 8 reales piece (also known as the spanish dollar) was legal tender around the world. This was because it was made of pure silver. The Mexico City Mint is the oldest in the American Continent. Since the colonies minted coins to be sent to Spain then the most common was the 8 reales piece. The fractions were minted but in lower quantities. Your cut piece is the result of fraction coins needed. This was done usually by the merchants who paid for goods overseas and didn't have pocket change with them. I remember seeing a curious example in the currency museum in Ottawa (I visited it in the summer of 1997). It was perforated in the centre. Usually they cut the coin in 4 pieces, like the one you have. Some countries even marked the bits to make them legal tender. I have seen some cool examples of bits with chinese symbols at the Museo de la Moneda in Torreon Mexico. I think a bit with a mint mark would be worth much more than one without it. I hope it's useful.[/QUOTE]