Here goes the third thread. If you'd like more information on one of the pieces let me know and I'll be glad to get in a little deeper. This is a five pesos coin that features Cuauhtemoc in the reverse. He was the last Aztec Emperor of Mexico. This is actually a medal 1/2 oz of pure mexican silver. It commemorates the Aztec Calendar.
I love mexican coins. I got a silver one when I was a kid and sure enough... I polished it :headbang:
Well Luis, we all make mistakes, I have some examples of what not should be done to a coin. I guess that as a kid you want to see your coins all new and shiny...I used to clean my cooper coins with lemon and toothpaste (with a brush)...I was 7 yo...did not know what I was doing. anyway. What was your coin like?
I still have a bunch of silver coins I cleaned back then that I never replaced. I'm not even sure I will make a big effort to replace them. They are still beautiful whether they are clean or not, especially when there is a bunch of them in a series . I have a series of Venezuelan 5 bolivar, a few of them are cleaned but I'm not bothered by that. Of course, I don't do that anymore. I just stopped getting dirty coins. The mexican one is like this
That's the good thing about silver, It's far more resistant than cooper... That particular coin you have is quite interesting. there are some varieties out there. I remember 4 at least. One is with the central ring of the olympics symbol slightly down (the most popular) and the others are in the eagle's beak. one open and one closed. Are you interested in varieties? About the toothpaste I have no idea, in my case my grandmother used to say that toothpaste cleaned metals, I think it was because originally toothpaste contained baking soda, and (at least in my family) baking soda was the ultimate invention, for cleaing, deodorant, as an antacid, for cooking (I still use a little bit when cooking beans and believe it or not they cook faster).... I guess its part of passed on knowledge.
I was never into varieties, really. I have a few of a few coins, but I didn't go out of my way to get them. I basically collect portuguese coins, and world silver coins, especially crown size. I used to put toothpaste on burns or to stop bleedings... :whistle:
I have some portugese coins. They are some of my favorites, specially the ones with the boats. Those came with my first set of coins that my mother gave me. That's what started me in numismatics. She gave me a bunch of coins from her trip to Europe and told me to start a collection. I know what you mean. Once the word is out that you collect coins, then a lot of people will be willing to bring you coins from their travels. Even at my work there are people who still bring me their change from their travels. Maybe I'm sentimental but I treasure those coins more than the ones that I've bought. And therefore I spend more time researching and learning where they come from. You said something about venezuelan coins. Are you interested in any particular coin or just about everything?
Portuguese coins with ships is a bit vague i get the feeling that it's the country with the most ships on coins. That doesn't happen to me a lot, but once this old man that spent part of his life in Asia gave me 4 or 5 pounds of pocket change from 10 asian countries or so, plus oceania. That was cool A bunch of these venezuelan coins fell on my lap (got them from an ex-dealer for a really cool price) and I've been adding to the series once in a while. Coincidentally, this week I bought 1935 and 1936 on ebay on XF condition.
I believe it's some sort of aztec game in which they have to introduce a tiny ball on a loop. I could be wrong though.
You're right Luis, it's called the Ball Game (Juego de Pelota) in spanish. It was played in almost all of the ancient mesoamerican cultures (Aztec, Maya, Tolteca). The objective was to introduce a rubber ball into a ring using the arms and legs. The winner was sacrificed. This was one of the biggest honors for the ancient mexicans, because the sacrifice meant eternal life and the oportunity for him to bring abundance to the rest of the people. One of the best architectural examples of this ball game field are to be seen in the ancient city of Chichen Itza (Maya culture). An open field surrounded by two large and tall stone walls. The only decoration in the wall is the ring in which the ball was to be introduced. This coin was minted to commemorate the 19th olympic games held in 1968 in Mexico City. The Olympic games were held just weeks after the most brutal massacre of students in the history of mexico (October 2nd). The army killed thousands of university students and families living nearby at the plaza de las 3 culturas in Tlatelolco. A suburb of Mexico City. In precolonial times Tlatelolco was the market for Mexico-Tenochtitlan the capital of the aztec empire. It brought some good things though, Graphic design was one of them. There are some very phsicodelic and colorful examples of this. I have some postcards from the period. Let me know if you are interested in seeing some of them.
The coins are really nice. :thumb: I do have a silver coin from venezuela but have never looked at it quite throughly. I also have one bimetallic of 1000 bolivares This coin has quite a history. Like all venezuelan coins the obverse has the bust of Simon Bolivar, the libertador. This is law since 1873. The coin was minted and put in circulation in 2006 but the year on the coin is 2005. The authorities took notice of this and it was retired from circulation only 5 weeks after it was first released. The argument is that the shield was minted upon the regulations valid in 2005. but since it was released in 2006 then the government decided to retire it from circulation because in march 2006 the national shield was modified by law. The changes consist in the addition of an eight star in the flag and the orientation of the horse. (towards the left) Since Chavez belongs to the left party of Venezuela.
Interesting. I remember once they did the same in Portugal, but that's because they wrote "PORTUGUSA" instead of "PORTUGUESA" :desk: That sounds dumb. Who cares at where the horse is pointing? Do you know why there is a horse? I see that sort of shield (the same shape and some elements) in many south american countries, but always slightly different. Peru has a lama, for example. Thanks for all the info :thumb:
I know it's dumb, the horse is represented in all the states that became independent by Simon Bolivar the Liberator. It's a wild horse, so it simbolizes freedom. Others say that Bolivar is often represented over a white horse named "Palomo" and that is the reason why it's represented in the coats of arms of all of the liberated countries. (most of them are located in central and south america). The Lama in Peru is the most representative animal and a primary source of income for the country, that's why it appears on the coat of arms. If you have the chance get yourself a lama hair sweater. I assure you you'll never be cold. Hope it's useful.
