(405c) Mexican Numismatic Profiles: Volume 1 Issue 4: Last Revision: 08/31/05

Mexican Numismatic Writers:

Neil S. Utberg a pioneer for U.S. Collectors of Mexican coins

By Dave Busse

with additional material by Rod Bates and Ralph Poucher

All collectors, dealers and numismatists involved with Mexican Coins in the United States of America and who read English owe a debt of gratitude to Neil S. Utberg (rhymes with Nutberg). As a visionary he saw the possibilities of a large collector base outside Mexico, but more importantly he actually began the process to see that it would become a reality. Like others, his early career had little to do with numismatics. In his younger years he was an Army Air Corps (later USAF) flying instructor. However, his life was not consumed by his career. He loved collecting and turned that love into a vocation after he left his "real job."      

As a Winter Texan he split time between Minnesota and Edinburg, Texas for several years and derived an income from buying and selling Mexican coins. He came to realize that for many in the United States, Mexican coinage was a genuine alternative to collecting US coins. He was one of the first to tell the world that collecting Mexican coins was not easy and could quite literally become a lifetime pursuit.

In what is probably his most popular work, The Coins of Mexico 1536 - 1963 (hereafter referred to as COM) he compared the differences in collecting coins of the two countries’ by stating, “If you gave a leading dealer a blank check I would estimate that he could assemble you a complete collection of U. S. coins (lacking only such items as $5 1822 Gold and another 10-20 coins). I am sure he could assemble you a collection 1900-63 in Unc in a year’s time. If you gave the same dealer a blank check for Mexico he could not get you 50% of all the [Mexican coins] and not 1905-1963 in Unc for any amount of money.” He did not claim that collecting Mexican coins was a less expensive endeavor. In fact, a Mexican coin, as a rule, was roughly the same as the U. S. counterparts when one took into consideration – precious metal content, denomination, rarity, and condition. For example, in his COM Utberg lists Ocho Reales (8 Reales) by mint (a system utilized in  Dunigan-Parker’s Resplandores some four decades later – and gives just one price for each coin saying the prices were based on what the coins cost at the Lagunilla (Thieves Market in Mexico City). The prices were based on a Very Fine or better example. He listed a common coin from a common mint as having a value of $6 while rarer coins (CE 1863 ML, EO MO 1828 and 1829 LF, O 1858 AE were valued at $250 and one the EO MO 1830 LF had a value of $1,000). If we were to compare those prices to the 1965 Red Book values of Morgan Silver Dollars, one would find that the common Mexican coins actually brought more than the common U. S. dollars (an 1894 O was valued at $2.00 in Very Fine and even rare items were often less than the rare Mexican 8 Reales listed above. We find that the US 1889 CC Silver Dollar was valued at $80 and the 1893 S had a price of $95.00! Needless to say, that situation no longer exists.

Critics today may criticize the fact COM was incomplete because some rare coins were not (e.g., the DO 1 Real Hookneck) listed. What they overlook is that Pradeau did not mention it in his work, Historia Numismatica de Mexico de 1823 a 1950, which is still, considered the definitive work for Republic of Mexico coinage. In fact he even he states that the silver issues of Durango in 1824 included the ocho reales and then said, De monedas de menor denominación, solo han aparecido las de dos reales. (Volume II, p. 374). What we should all do when critically examining an early work on any subject is to accept the fact that it is a starting point. Hopefully, it will stimulate interest, comments and further research. In fact the first publication I have been able to find that lists and illustrates the DO 1 Real Hookneck is T. V. Buttrey’s A Guide Book of Mexican Coins 1822 To Date, Racine, WI, Western Publishing Company, 1969 (1st Edition).

Mr. Utberg had a voracious appetite when it came to all aspects of Mexican Numismatics as evidenced by the fact that COM dealt with the entire spectrum from 1536 to 1963. Additional topics of related publications included:

It is interesting to note that in a round-about way were it not for Neil Utberg I (Ralph Poucher) would probably not have discovered the wonderful world of Mexican coins.  My first Mexican coin mentor (Rod Bates) informed me that he met Utberg while still in the colder climates of the US; Neil was a scout-buyer for his mother’s antique business located up north. 

One day, in 1968 while in Mrs. Bates shop, Neil gave Rod a Mexican Republic 1872 10 Centavos from the Zacatecas Mint and told him to find out something about this “strange looking” coin.  Thus Rod began his lifelong pursuit of Mexican coins.  Rod said,  "Utberg always had time for new young collectors and there is no telling how many Mexican collectors received, as a gift, their first coin from Neil Utberg?"

According to Rod Bates, Utberg became discussed with Mexican coin collecting when his personal collection and his entire stock of Mexican coins were stolen and never seen again even though Utberg had a good idea who was responsible for the theft. 

After the theft of his Mexican coins Utberg turned his many research and writing talents to another field, railroad memorabilia and later wrote several definitive works for collectors.

Yes, we (Bates, Busse and Poucher) truly believe that all who have an even remote interest in Mexican Numismatics need to understand that we all owe a debt of gratitude to Neil Utberg as evidenced by the fact that his books continue to be among the “best sellers” in the world of Mexican Coin Collecting.  

 List of Publications by Neil Utberg in the Busse Reference Library 

Utberg, Neil S., A GUIDE BOOK OF THE COINS OF MEXICO 1536 ‑ 1967, Edinburg, Texas: (by the author), 1967 (1ST Edition).

Utberg, Neil S., NUMISMATIC SIDELINES OF MEXICO: A Photographic tour of a portion of the numismatic collection of the Banco de Mexico, Edinburg, TX (by The author), 1965 (First Edition).

 Utberg, Neil S., THE COINS OF THE MEXICAN REVOLUTION: 1910 ‑ 1917,  Edinburg, Texas: (by the author), 1965 (First Edition).

 Utberg, Neil S., THE COINS OF THE REPUBLIC OF MEXICO 1823 ‑ 1905 AND THE EMPIRE OF MAXIMILIAN 1864 ‑ 1867, Edinburg, Texas: (by the author), 1966 (First Edition).

 Utberg, Neil S., GOLD COINS OF THE MEXICAN REVOLUTION, 1910-1917: A Monograph, Edinburg, TX, by the author, 1967 (First Edition).

Utberg, Neil S., THE COINS OF COLONIAL MEXICO 1536 ‑ 1821 AND THE EMPIRE OF ITURBIDE 1821 ‑ 1823, Edinburg, Texas: (by the author), 1970, reprint edition, revised by George W. Vogt, Houston, Texas: Colonial Coins, INC., l970.

Utberg, Neil S., THE COINS OF MEXICO 1536 ‑ 1963, Edinburg, Texas: (by the author), 1963 (First Edition, hardbound).

Utberg, Neil S., THE COINS OF MEXICO 1536 ‑ 1963 AND THE EMPIRE OF  MAXIMILIAN 1864 ‑ 1867, Edinburg, Texas: (by the author), 1963 (First Edition, paperback).

Utberg, Neil S., THE COINS OF ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS, 1905 - 1965, Edinburg, TX, (by the author), 1965 (First Edition).

Utberg, Neil S., THE COINS OF ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS, 1905 - 1971, Houston, TX, Colonial Publishing Company, second edition, Revised by G. W. Vogt, 1971.

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