Mexican real
Encyclopedia
The real was a currency of Mexico
, issued until 1897. There were 16 silver reales to 1 gold escudo
, with 8 tlacos to the real. The peso
, which circulated alongside the real and eventually replaced it, was equal to 8 reales.
The first reales issued in Mexico were Spanish colonial real
es. These were followed in 1822 by independent issues of Mexico. In 1863, Mexico began issuing a decimal currency based on the peso but coins denominated in reales (in particular 8 reales coins) continued to be minted until 1897.
(1810-1821), numerous mints operated, providing coins for both the supporters and opponents of the Spanish crown. The Royalist issued coins at mints in Chihuahua
, Durango
, Guadalajara
, Guanajuato
, Nueva Viscaya
, Oaxaca
, Real del Catorce, San Fernando de Bexar
, San Luis Potosí
, Sombrerete, Valladolid Michoacán
and Zacatecas
. Most Royalist issues were similar in style to the earlier colonial issues from the Mexico City
mint with no new denominations issed.
Insurgent coins were minted at various locations including Nueva Galicia
, Oaxaca
, Puebla
and Veracruz
. There were also issues made in the names of the Supreme National Congress of America, the National Congress and the American Congress which, although considered Insurgent issues, bore the titles of Ferdinand VII. Both Royalists and Insurgents also issued countermarked pieces.
. There were copper ⅛ and ¼ real, silver ½, 1, 2 and 8 reales, and gold 4 and 8 escudos.
The obverses of the silver and gold coins carried a variety of portraits of the Emperor with the legend "August(inus) Dei Prov(identia)" and the date, or "Augustinus Dei Providentia" and the date. The reverse had several different versions of the Mexican eagle, a golden eagle
(Aquila chrysaetos). It was a traditional symbol of the Aztec
s, but it was changed according to European heraldic traditions (see Coat of Arms of Mexico
). The legends read "Mex I Imperator Constiiut" together with the denomination and assayer's initials.
, the United Mexican States began issuing coins. There were silver ½, 1, 2, 4 and 8 reales, and gold ½, 1, 2, 4 and 8 escudos, with silver ¼ reales added in 1842. Copper coins for , ⅛ and ¼ real were issued both by the Federal government at the Mexico City mint and by the state governments at various mints around the country.
On the republic's coins, the Mexican eagle moved to the obverse, with the legend "República Mexicana". The reverse featured a liberty cap
with rays behind. The legend on the reverse reads "-denomination- -mintmark- -date- -assayer's initials- 10 Ds. 20 Gs." Mexico used the medieval system of dineros and granos to measure the fineness of their coins, twelve dineros designating pure silver with each dinero divided into 24 granos. A coin of 10 Ds. 20 Gs equated to .902777 fine.
The brief reign of Maximillian (1864-67) interrupted the production of republic type coins and many of the denominations ceased production either in 1863 or by 1870, as the decimal currency based on the peso was introduced. However, 8 reales coins continued in production until 1897.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, issued until 1897. There were 16 silver reales to 1 gold escudo
Escudo
The escudo is a unit of currency. Historically it was used in Portugal and in its colonies, and is still used in Cape Verde to this day. Escudo is Portuguese for "shield"...
, with 8 tlacos to the real. The peso
Mexican peso
The peso is the currency of Mexico. Modern peso and dollar currencies have a common origin in the 15th–19th century Spanish dollar, most continuing to use its sign, "$". The Mexican peso is the 12th most traded currency in the world, the third most traded in the Americas, and by far the most...
, which circulated alongside the real and eventually replaced it, was equal to 8 reales.
The first reales issued in Mexico were Spanish colonial real
Spanish colonial real
The silver real was the currency of the Spanish colonies in the Americas and the Philippines. In the seventeenth century the silver real was established at two billon reals or sixty-eight Spanish maravedís. Gold escudos were also issued...
es. These were followed in 1822 by independent issues of Mexico. In 1863, Mexico began issuing a decimal currency based on the peso but coins denominated in reales (in particular 8 reales coins) continued to be minted until 1897.
Colonial Period
Silver coins were issued in denominations of ¼, ½, 1, 2, 4 and 8 reales, with gold coins for ½, 1, 2, 4 and 8 escudos. Between 1814 and 1821, copper coins were also issued for ⅛, ¼ and tlaco.War of Independence
During the Mexican War of IndependenceMexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...
(1810-1821), numerous mints operated, providing coins for both the supporters and opponents of the Spanish crown. The Royalist issued coins at mints in Chihuahua
Chihuahua, Chihuahua
The city of Chihuahua is the state capital of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It has a population of about 825,327. The predominant activity is industry, including domestic heavy, light industries, consumer goods production, and to a smaller extent maquiladoras.-History:It has been said that the...
, Durango
Durango
Durango officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northwest Mexico. With a population of 1,632,934, it has Mexico's second-lowest population density, after Baja...
, Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
, Guanajuato
Guanajuato, Guanajuato
Guanajuato is a city and municipality in central Mexico and the capital of the state of the same name. It is located in a narrow valley, which makes the streets of the city narrow and winding. Most are alleys that cars cannot pass through, and some are long sets of stairs up the mountainsides....
, Nueva Viscaya
Nueva Vizcaya, New Spain
Nueva Vizcaya was the first province in the north of New Spain to be explored and settled by the Spanish. It consisted mostly of the area which is today the states of Chihuahua and Durango in Mexico.-Early exploration and the Viceroyalty:...
, Oaxaca
Oaxaca, Oaxaca
The city and municipality of Oaxaca de Juárez, or simply Oaxaca, is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of the same name . It is located in the Centro District in the Central Valleys region of the state, in the foothills of the Sierra Madre at the base of the Cerro del Fortín...
, Real del Catorce, San Fernando de Bexar
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí, commonly called SLP or simply San Luis, is the capital of, and most populous city in the Mexican state of the same name. The city lies at an elevation of 1,850 meters...
, Sombrerete, Valladolid Michoacán
Morelia
Morelia is a city and municipality in the north central part of the state of Michoacán in central Mexico. The city is in the Guayangareo Valley and is the capital of the state. The main pre-Hispanic cultures here were the P'urhépecha and the Matlatzinca, but no major cities were founded in the...
and Zacatecas
Zacatecas, Zacatecas
Zacatecas is a city and municipality in Mexico and the capital of the state of Zacatecas. It is located in the north central part of the country. The city had its start as a Spanish mining camp in the mid 16th century. Prior to this, the area's rich deposits in silver and other minerals were known...
. Most Royalist issues were similar in style to the earlier colonial issues from the Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
mint with no new denominations issed.
Insurgent coins were minted at various locations including Nueva Galicia
Nueva Galicia
El Nuevo Reino de Galicia or Nueva Galicia was an autonomous kingdom of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. It was named after Galicia in Spain...
, Oaxaca
Oaxaca, Oaxaca
The city and municipality of Oaxaca de Juárez, or simply Oaxaca, is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of the same name . It is located in the Centro District in the Central Valleys region of the state, in the foothills of the Sierra Madre at the base of the Cerro del Fortín...
, Puebla
Puebla, Puebla
The city and municipality of Puebla is the capital of the state of Puebla, and one of the five most important colonial cities in Mexico. Being a planned city, it is located to the east of Mexico City and west of Mexico's main port, Veracruz, on the main route between the two.The city was founded...
and Veracruz
Veracruz, Veracruz
Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most...
. There were also issues made in the names of the Supreme National Congress of America, the National Congress and the American Congress which, although considered Insurgent issues, bore the titles of Ferdinand VII. Both Royalists and Insurgents also issued countermarked pieces.
Empire of Iturbide
Between 1821 and 1823, coins were issued by the government of Agustín de IturbideAgustín de Iturbide
Agustín Cosme Damián de Iturbide y Aramburu , also known as Augustine I of Mexico, was a Mexican army general who built a successful political and military coalition that was able to march into Mexico City on 27 September 1821, decisively ending the Mexican War of Independence...
. There were copper ⅛ and ¼ real, silver ½, 1, 2 and 8 reales, and gold 4 and 8 escudos.
The obverses of the silver and gold coins carried a variety of portraits of the Emperor with the legend "August(inus) Dei Prov(identia)" and the date, or "Augustinus Dei Providentia" and the date. The reverse had several different versions of the Mexican eagle, a golden eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
(Aquila chrysaetos). It was a traditional symbol of the Aztec
Aztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
s, but it was changed according to European heraldic traditions (see Coat of Arms of Mexico
Coat of arms of Mexico
The current coat of arms of Mexico has been an important symbol of Mexican politics and culture for centuries. The coat of arms depicts a Mexican Golden Eagle perched upon a prickly pear cactus devouring a snake. To the people of Tenochtitlan this would have strong religious connotations, but to...
). The legends read "Mex I Imperator Constiiut" together with the denomination and assayer's initials.
Republic Issues
With the adoption of the 1824 republican constitution1824 Constitution of Mexico
The Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1824 was enacted on October 4 of 1824, after the overthrow of the Mexican Empire of Agustin de Iturbide. In the new constitution, the republic took the name of United Mexican States, and was defined as a representative federal republic, with...
, the United Mexican States began issuing coins. There were silver ½, 1, 2, 4 and 8 reales, and gold ½, 1, 2, 4 and 8 escudos, with silver ¼ reales added in 1842. Copper coins for , ⅛ and ¼ real were issued both by the Federal government at the Mexico City mint and by the state governments at various mints around the country.
On the republic's coins, the Mexican eagle moved to the obverse, with the legend "República Mexicana". The reverse featured a liberty cap
Phrygian cap
The Phrygian cap is a soft conical cap with the top pulled forward, associated in antiquity with the inhabitants of Phrygia, a region of central Anatolia. In the western provinces of the Roman Empire it came to signify freedom and the pursuit of liberty, perhaps through a confusion with the pileus,...
with rays behind. The legend on the reverse reads "-denomination- -mintmark- -date- -assayer's initials- 10 Ds. 20 Gs." Mexico used the medieval system of dineros and granos to measure the fineness of their coins, twelve dineros designating pure silver with each dinero divided into 24 granos. A coin of 10 Ds. 20 Gs equated to .902777 fine.
The brief reign of Maximillian (1864-67) interrupted the production of republic type coins and many of the denominations ceased production either in 1863 or by 1870, as the decimal currency based on the peso was introduced. However, 8 reales coins continued in production until 1897.