Something New: Less than 25 years old or newer
This isn’t a book for the masses, nor is it a book for the average Mexican Coin Collector. However, Mr. Green is a very capable researcher and author who presents his readers with an interesting look at the early Mexican Republic. He tells us about some of the most important and influential people, events, and even what was going on behind the scenes in a new country that was in constant turmoil.
This is a very important work for the student of the early Mexican Republican history who does not read Spanish. It contains very interesting information about the mints and Mexican coinage. This is a very important work for any person trying to understand the political goings-on in Mexico. This is especially important during the first ten years of the new Republic of Mexico when political unrest and intrigue was instigated by some foreign governments and their citizens; thus trying to capitalize on the economic collapse of Mexico immediately after the War of Independence.
Chapter 3: Foreign Visitors Pages (64-68): This section deals with some of the schemes that resulted in the passage of the Law of December 23, 1824 that restricted the ownership by foreign citizens of property in Mexico. As you may or may not know, Goldschmidt and Company, one of the largest British banking houses, took an early interest in Mexico’s finances and went so far as to float the first large foreign loan to the new Republican Government.
There was much early competition between several of the great British banking houses of the time for what they thought would be the very profitable business of supplying the new government with cash and credit. Several went so far as investing in Mexico’s ruined mining industry. The early prime movers were Goldschmidt and Company, the Baring Brothers and Barclay, Richardson & Company who all sent talented and resourceful representatives to Mexico in the early 1820s. Both Goldschmidt and the Baring Brothers representatives ran into some “big” problems and several ended up either in jail, exile, or dead. This was not the case with two of the Barclay, Richardson & Company (Marshall and Manning) representatives, who later became very wealthy and influential men in the Mexican Republic and for many years operated the mints of Guanajuato and Zacatecas.
Special Note: I started this book review in September 2005, since then I have missed placed, or loaned out my copy of this important book. I promise that as soon as I find it, I will complete this book review; giving you a much better picture of why it is so important for advanced collectors to own.