Extra Fine. Rare! 1870 Silver Republic Mexico 25 Centavos Guanajuaro

Description

Coin Details
1870 Silver Republic Mexico 25 Centavos Guanajuaro Mint. This specimen was struck at Guanajuato, an early date of a type struck there 1870-90.
Year:
1870
Weight:
6.77 g
Size:
39mm
Obverse Description:
Facing small eagle, snake in beak within half wreath above date
Obverse Legend:
REPUBLICA MEXICANA
Reverse Description:
Radiant cap above scales with LEY Spanish for Law on scroll with unsheathed sword depictured behind - a symbolic message that the law or justice is backed by the sword.
Reverse Legend:
25 CENTAVOS Go S . 902.7, Radiant cap above scales
Catalog reference:
KM# 406.5
Mint:
Mexico City
.903 fine silver, .196 troy oz ASW
25 Centavos
The Republican government of Mexico that had eventually arose on the 19th March 1823 from the revolution against Spanish rule that had its start back in 1810 and the ensuing events up to it briefly becoming an Empire on the 28th September 1821- lived for some time with the deficiencies of its coinage denomination of the real that was based on the previous Spanish Rule.
So in order to better Mexico’s impression abroad especially in Europe a decree was issued in 1857 to modernize their coinage to alter it from the real to the decimal system although it was not until 1863 that the decimal system was implemented with the first large centavo along with the smaller 5 and 10 cent silver coins.
There are 3 branches of government represented on the reverse- 1) the un- sheathed sword symbolic of Mexico’s Executive Powers; 2) an opened scroll highlighting the word “LEY” indicating the Legislative Power and the Constitution; 3) a set of balance scales depicting equity and Judicial Power.
Then above these 3 symbolic governmental divisions is the Phrygian Liberty Cap- an artistic representations signifying freedom and the pursuit of liberty, with sun rays issuing forth from it.
This design became the standard design for other larger size gold and silver coins issued during the same year with the fineness of the silver stated in thousandths here- 902.7
Mints and Mint Marks
The legends on the early Republican coinage differ from the earlier Spanish colonial and imperial coinage in two significant ways. First the legends which had been rendered in Latin were changed to Spanish and the fineness of the coins was openly stated on the face.
The reverse legend of the early Republican gold and silver coins identified;- the denomination, mint mark, date, assayer’s or assayer’s initials and the coin’s metallic fineness always in this order.
Normally the mint mark is an abbreviation of the name of the mint, which comprises of the first and last letters with the last often raised in smaller type, superscripted or sometimes omitted altogether. In the early coinages of the mints in Guanajuato and Oaxaca the last letter is found in smaller type within the first letter.
Guanajuato
Flag of Guanajuato
Guanajuato is the capital of Guanajuato a rich mining area where silver was first discovered in the 1600s. The first mint was established by Hidalgo of the rebels in 1810 and continued its operation under the Spanish authorities when they regained control of the province.
Silver mining at La Valenciana located on the northern edge of Guanajuato brought great wealth to the region and magnificent churches and mansions were built with the riches. Much of the region’s early wealth belonged to the Spanish mine owners, while the people of Guanajuato worked as laborers. Once the Republic was established in 1823 the Guanajuato mint became one of the most important in the nation with a large and regular minting of gold and silver coins.
Along with Zacatecas, Guanajuato was responsible by far for minting the largest part of the silver coinage that circulated during the first half of the century of the Republic even during the occupation of the city by the Imperial forces of Maxillian in 1864- 67 and then again when the decimal system was implemented, it again was responsible for producing very large quantities of silver until its eventual closure in 1900.
Guanajuato was at the center of the Mexican Revolution of 1810 - the revolution that Mexico celebrates on September 16 as its Independence Day. Briefly, on September 15, 1810, Father Hidalgo assembled a number of (mostly) Mexicans and Indians from the lower socioeconomic castes in the town of Dolores and urged them to revolt against the Spanish crown. The people's hatred of Spain ran deep (as did the economic gap that naturally evolved from the local silver mining industry, i.e., the Indians and Mexicans did the mining; the Spaniards and upper-caste criollos kept the silver). The roar of the crowd in response to Hidalgo's encouragement to overthrow the government is now celebrated on the evening of September 15 as "La Noche del Grito" (loosely translated, "the night of the enraged scream").
Coins of the old Mexican Republic (Republica Mexicana) lasted until the early 1900s, when they were replaced by coins of the United Mexican States (Estados Unidos Mexicanos). There are 100 centavos in a peso, and 25 and 50 cenvatos denominations were minted from 1869 to 1890 in silver with a classic 'balance and law (ley)' pattern. Other small denominations, like the 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 centavos were also minted, but in different metals and with different patterns.
Mexican Rulers
Charles and Johanna, 1516-1556
Philip II, 1556-1598
Philip III, 1598-1621
Philip IV, 1621—1665
Charles II, 1665-1700
Philip V, 1700-1724, 1724-1746
Luis I, 1724
Ferdinand VI, 1746-1759
Charles III, 1760-1788
Charles IV, 1788-1808
Ferdinand VII, 1808-1821
Mint Marks
A, AS - Alamos
CE - Real de Catorce
C, CH, CL - Chihuahua
C, CN, Gn (error) - Culiacan
D, Do - Durango
EoMo - Estado de Mexico
Ga - Guadalajara
GC - Guadalupe y Calvo
Go, G - Guanajuato
Ho, H - Hermosillo
M, Mo, oMo, MXo - Mexico City
OA, O - Oaxaca
SLP, PI, P, I/P - San Luis Potosi
Z, Zs - Zacatecas
Assayer's Initals
A
?
?
F
1538-40
Estaban Franco
G
1538-40
Juan Gutierrez
L
?
Luis Rodriguez
O
?
?
P
1541-42
Pedro De Espina
R
1536-38
Francisco del Rincon
S
?
Gomez de Santillan
A
1600-09
?
F
1600-16
?
Ne
1611
?
D
1614-32
?
P
1635-65
?
G
1667-76
Geronimo Becerra
L
1678-1703
Martin Lopez
J
1708-23
Jose E. de Leon
D
1724-27
?
R
1729-30
Nicolas de Roxas
G
1730
?
F
1730-33
Felipe Rivas de Anguio
F
1733-84
Francisco de la Pena
M
1733-63
Manuel de la Pena
F
1733-84
Francisco de la Pena
M
1754-1770
Manuel Assorim
F
1762-70
Francisco de Rivera
M
1770-77
Manuel de Rivera
F
1777-1803
Francisco Arance Cobos
M
1784-1801
Mariano Rodriguez
T
1801-10
Tomas Butron Miranda
H
1803-1814
Henrique Buenaventura Azorin
J
1809-33
Joaquin Davila Madrid
J
1812-33
Jose Garcia Ansaldo
Mexico
The United States of Mexico, located immediately south of the United States has an area of 759,529 sq. mi. (1.967.183 sq. km.) and an estimated population of 88 million. Capital: Mexico City. The economy is based on agriculture, manufacturing and mining. Oil, cotton, silver, coffee, and shrimp are exported.
Mexico was the site of highly advanced Indlan civilizations 1,500 years before conquistador Hernando Cortes conquered the wealthy Aztec empire of Montezuma, 1519-21, and founded a Spanish colony which lasted for nearly 300 years. During the Spanish period, Mexico then called New Spain, stretched from Guatemala to the present states of Wyoming and California, its present northern boundary having been established by the secession of Texas during 1836 and the war of 1846-48 with the United States.
Independence from Spain was declared by Father Miguel Hidalgo on Sept. 16, 1810, (Mexican Independence Day) and was achieved by General Agustin de Iturbide in 1821. Iturbide became emperor in 1822 but was deposed when a republic was established a year later. For more than fifty years following the birth of the republic, the political scene of Mexico was characterized by turmoil which saw two emperors (including the unfortunate Maximilian), several dictators and an average of one new government every nine months passing swiftly from obscurity to oblivion. The land, social, economic and labor reforms promulgated by the Reform Constitution of Feb. 5, 1917 established the basis for sustained economic development and participative democracy that have made Mexico one of the most politically stable countries of modern Latin America.
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