(1008) Mexican Coin Facts & Figures: Volume 2 Issue 10: Last Revision: 12/08/07
By Ralph Poucher
In two earlier articles, about the Eagles found on the Mexican Republic Coinage, we skipped around a bit by exposing our readers to some of the eagles believed to have their origins in Europe: (408) The Mexican Eagles Part 1: The European Eagles and Where They Landed in Mexico and then a few of the unique eagles found in the state mints (508) The Eagles of the Mexican Republic Part 2a: The Unique Branch Mint Mexican Eagles and Their Nests.
We have several serous, and a couple of new collectors of Mexico City coinage that have asked why we haven’t covered any of the Mexico City Mint’s eagles in depth yet. Well guys my answer is simple; we received very few comments about the two earlier articles; either good or bad, so the Eagles of Mexico were placed on the back burner for a while.
Mexico City has had many different Republican Birds of Prey (eagles) since 1823; some very beautiful, beginning with the 1823 Hookneck, and more than a few funky looking birds, but all are very interesting. The early Mexican Coinage Laws decreed that all designs for the new republic’s coins, and the dies for them, were to be created in Mexico City. Like so many other Mexican Laws, this one quickly went by the wayside and was almost totally ignored by the state mints and their operators.
While pondering how to present the data for this article I got off track several times because there are so many varieties of the Mexico City Eagles. For some of them I have great scans, others the scans are just so so, and for some I have no scans. What to do, oh what to do? I think I will begin with the silver Cap & Ray coinage, next the gold, then the copper coins, and finally the eagles found on the Decimal Coinage, but this could change as I go along. In each year I will reproduce (hopefully) only new eagles found that year, but I will tell what styles are used if they aren't new eagles. In a few instances I may picture a coin from different year than when it was introduced, if I have a better scan. Below each scan you will find the FoxLair Variety Number, just in case you may want to later refer to an individual coin. Any mistakes, errors or emissions; great or small, found in this article are mine, and mine alone, therefore I accept any and all blame for them.
For now I will give you only what I believe are the more important styles. Later we may go into more depth, but I sometimes fear that these articles are way too complex and wordy for most collectors. I guess the easiest way to do this is to look at the eagles year by year by denomination? So here goes nothing…
8 Reales: Hookneck Style Hubbard and O’Harrow identified at least seven different Hookneck eagles for 1823 in their book Hookneck. We have scans of several for you to see…
8R-Mo-1823-1102b
8R-Mo-1823-1103b
8R-Mo-1823-1107b
8 Reales: Hookneck Style Hubbard and O’Harrow identified at least 16 different Hookneck eagles for 1824 in their book Hookneck. Again we have only a couple.
8R-Mo-1824-1109b
8R-Mo-1824-1113b
8R-Mo-1824-1115b
8R-Mo-1824-1120b
And last, but not least is a modern fake, with the reeded edge, that Hubbard & O'Harrow picture on page 215.
8R-Mo-1824-MF01b
8 Reales: Facing Eagle Style We have identified at least five different varieties of the Style of 1824 Facing Eagles. Here are the ones we currently have scans of in the FoxLair Reference Collection:
2 Reales: Hookneck Style Hubbard and O’Harrow identified only three different Hookneck eagles for the 1824 2 Reales in their book Hookneck, but they felt there were many more. We have identified several including a couple not in their book.
2R-Mo-1824-1101b
2R-Mo-1824-1102b
2R-Mo-1824-1103b
2R-Mo-1824-1104b
2R-Mo-1824-1105b
2R-Mo-1824-1106b
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: Hookneck Style Hubbard and O’Harrow identified only four different Hookneck eagles for the 1824 ½ Reales in their book Hookneck. As you may know these little jewels are as rare a camel at the North Pole in high-grade, so don’t be disappointed in our specimens.
Mexico City .5R-Mo-1824-1101b
.5R-Mo-1824-1103b
8 Reales: Facing Eagle Style; Silver and gold production soared in 1825; we see multiple new Styles of 1825 Eagles found on the 8 Reales, and all of the Style of 1824 Eagles used for the 1825 8 Reales.
8R-Mo-1825-1201b
8R-Mo-1825-1301b
2 Reales: Facing Eagle Style; The Style of 1825 Mexico City 2 Reales Eagle is one of those “strange” looking birds that were passed off as eagles during the Republican Period. This Eagle has been given the well-deserved nickname of the Mexico City Tiny Pigeon Head Bug-Eye Hooked-Beak Style of 1825 Eagle!
1 Real: Facing Eagle Style; The Style of 1825 1 Real Mexico City Eagle is a rather crude and “strange” looking; some of the feathers are made with a “diamond” shaped punch, others are engraved and it has a very ugly head. All in all, this is pretty awful looking bird.
1R-Mo-1825-1101b
½ Real: Facing Eagle Style: The Mexico City Style of 1825 ½ Real Eagle looks more like a crow than an eagle in my opinion.
.5R-Mo-1825-1101
Mexico City 1826
8 Reales: We see the continued use of the Style of 1824 and the Style of 1825 Eagles this year plus the introduction of three or more new Styles of 1826 Eagles this year.
8R-Mo-1826-1101b
8R-Mo-1826-1102b
8R-Mo-1826-1103b
8R-Mo-1826-1104b
8R-Mo-1826-1105b
2 Reales: There are some Style of 1825 Eagles still being used in 1826, but we also find a new Style of 1826 Eagle. This new eagle, the Style of 1826, is somewhat modified, but still retains most of the characteristics found on the Style of 1825 Eagle.
2R-Mo-1826-1101b
1 Real: There are two eagles found on this year’s 1 Reales: the Style of 1825 and a new Style of 1826.
1R-Mo-1826-1201b
½ Real: There are at least two new Style of 1826 ½ Real Eagles for 1826; one with a Dot after "MEXICANA." and one with No Dot after "MEXICANA_".
.5R-Mo-1826-1102b
.5R-Mo-1826-1301b
8 Reales: At this time we have found only the Style of 1826 Eagles with no new eagles this year.
4 Reales: This the first year of production for the Mexico City 4 Reales and it uses a unique style of eagle, but I’m in a quandary: all known examples of this DAM are a 7/6 OverDate! Should the style designation be the Style of 1826 or the Style of 1827 Eagle? Oh well, let’s just call it the latter until someone actually finds an 1826 Mexico City 4 Real. The next year of production for the 4 Reales will be 1850 and there we see a new Style of 1850 Eagle.
4R-Mo-1827-1101b
2 Reales: It appears the Mexico City Mint was still dissatisfied with the 2 Reales eagles as a new Style of 1827 Eagle is introduced this year.
2R-Mo-1827-1101b
1 Real: As unbelievable as it may be the new Style of 1827 Mexico City 1 Real Eagle is even uglier than the previous versions.
1R-Mo-1827-1201b
½ Real: Style of 1826
8 Reales: So far we have found a number of the Style of 1826 and one new Style of 1828 Eagles on the 8 Reales for 1828.
8R-Mo-1828-1201b
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: We begin to see the first attempts for a standardized style of eagle this year on the Mexico City 2 Reales with the introduction of the Style of 1828 2 Reales Eagle. However work will continue on it in 1829.
2R-Mo-1828-1101b
1 Real: There are two eagles found this year: the Style of 1827 and a new Style of 1828.
1R-Mo-1828-1201b
½ Real: We see two new eagles, Style of 1828, this year, one [.5R-Mo-1828-1201] has a very pronounced eye that I have nicknamed the Style of 1828 "Bug-Eye" Eagle.
.5R-Mo-1828-1103b
.5R-Mo-1828-1201b
8 Reales: At this time we have seen only the Style of 1828 Eagles.
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: I believe this is the first truly standardized style of eagle made in Mexico City Mint on the 2 Reales, this new Style of 1829 2 Reales Eagle will be used until 1836.
2R-Mo-1829-1101b
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: We find a slightly different ½ Real Eagle this year: the new Style of 1829.
.5R-Mo-1829-1102b
8 Reales: Looks like they cleaned out the “roost” this year we have a mixed flock of eagles: Style of 1828, Style of 1829, a new Style of 1830 and the Mexico City 8 Escudo Style of 1826 “Broken Neck” Eagle. The Style of 1830 Eagle, with a few modifications, will become the standard eagle until mid-1842 when we see the introduction of the new Style of 1843 Eagle.
8R-Mo-1830-1103b
8R-Mo-1830-1104b
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: Style of 1829
1 Real: We find two eagles on the Mexico City 1 Real this year: the Style of 1828 and the new Style of 1830.
1R-Mo-1830-1201b
½ Real: We find a slightly different ½ Real Eagle this year: the new Style of 1830.
.5R-Mo-1830-1101b
8 Reales: At this time we have seen only the Style of 1830 Eagles.
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: Style of 1829
1 Real: Style of 1830
½ Real: There are two styles of eagles for 1831; the old Style of 1830 and a new Style of 1831.
.5R-Mo-1831-1201b
8 Reales: Style of 1830
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: Style of 1829
1 Real: Two eagles are found on the 1 Reales this year: the Style of 1828 and a new Style of 1832.
1R-Mo-1832-1201b
½ Real: There are two styles of eagles for 1832; the old Style of 1830 and a new Style of 1832.
.5R-Mo-1832-1201b
8 Reales: Style of 1830
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: Style of 1829
1 Real: A new Style of 1833 Eagle lands on the Mexico City 1 Real.
1R-Mo-1833-1101b
½ Real: We find two new eagles in 1833; Style of 1833 Type #1 and Style of 1833 Type #2.
.5R-Mo-1833-1101b
.5R-Mo-1833-1201b
8 Reales: Style of 1830
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: Style of 1829
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: Style of 1833 Type #2
8 Reales: Style of 1830
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: No Production Recorded
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: Style of 1833 Type #2
8 Reales: Style of 1830
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: The Mexico City Style of 1836 2 Real Eagle sees first light and may have be been used until 1840.
2R-Mo-1836-1101b
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: We find two new eagles in 1836; Style of 1836 Type #1 and Style of 1836 Type #2.
.5R-Mo-1836-2102b
.5R-Mo-1838-2102b
8 Reales: Style of 1830
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: Unknown Style, I have had no 1837 2 Reales to study.
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: No Production Recorded
8 Reales: Style of 1830
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: No Production Recorded
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: Both Styles of 1836
8 Reales: Style of 1830
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: No Production Recorded
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: Style of 1836 Type #1
8 Reales: Style of 1830
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: Again we find a few modifications to the old standardized eagle with the introduction of the new Style of 1840 2 Reales Eagle.
2R-Mo-1840-1101b
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: We have found only one eagle so far, the new Style of 1840.
.5R-Mo-1840-1101b
8 Reales: Style of 1830
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: Both the old Style of 1840 and a new Style of 1841 eagles are seen on the Mexico City 2 Reales this year.
2R-Mo-1841-1101b
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: To date we have found only the new Style of 1841.
.5R-Mo-1841-1102b
8 Reales: During this year we see the Style of 1830 Eagle fly away and the new Style of 1843 Eagle land at the Mexico City Mint until 1844.
8R-Mo-1842-2201b
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: I have had a single study coin for this year and it has the Style of 1840 Eagle.
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: We have found two eagles in our research; the Style of 1840 and a new Style of 1842.
.5R-Mo-1842-2201b
8 Reales: Style of 1843
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: No Production Recorded
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: Style of 1842
8 Reales: A whole new flock of eagles show up this year on the 8 Reales, so far we have found three different new Style of 1844 Eagles.
8R-Mo-1844-1101b
8R-Mo-1844-1102b
8R-Mo-1844-1103b
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: No Production Recorded
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: Style of 1842
8 Reales: Style of 1844
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: No Production Recorded
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: Our research has found two eagles; the Style of 1842 and a new Style of 1845. At this time I have been unable to secure a scan of the new Style of 1845 Eagle as the only study coins I have for this short lived (1845 to 1846) eagle have been high-grade encapsulated specimens and the owners won't allow me to crack the slabs in order to properly scan them.
.5R-Mo-1845-1201b & 1301b
8 Reales: Style of 1844
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: No Production Recorded
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: Style of 1845
8 Reales: Style of 1844
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: After several years of no 2 Reales production we find a new short-lived Style of 1847 Eagle.
2R-Mo-1847-2101b
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: We have found only a new Style of 1847.
.5R-Mo-1847-2102b
8 Reales: A new Style of 1848 Eagle makes its appearance at the Mexico City Mint this year and remains the prime bird of prey until 1851.
8R-Mo-1848-1101b
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: Another new 2 Reales eagle makes an appearance this year, the Style of 1848, but it will have a much longer life until 1860.
2R-Mo-1848-1101b
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: Style of 1847
8 Reales: Style of 1848
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: Style of 1848
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: Style of 1847
8 Reales: Style of 1848
4 Reales: Finally another Mexico City 4 Reales is produced, this time with a new Style of 1850 4 Reales Eagle that sees duty until 1861.
4R-Mo-1850-1101b
2 Reales: Style of 1848
1 Real: Completely new dies, Style of 1850, are created after a 17-year hiatus of the Mexico City 1 Real.
1R-Mo-1850-1101b
½ Real: This year finds the first truly standardized eagle used for the Mexico City ½ Real, the Style of 1850. This eagle, with a few minor modifications from time to time, will be used until the end of the series in 1863.
.5R-Mo-1850-1101b
8 Reales: A new “standard” Style of 1851 Eagle roosts at Mexico City and remains here until mid-year 1867.
8R-Mo-1851-1101b
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: Style of 1848
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: Style of 1850
8 Reales: Style of 1851
4 Reales: Style of 1850
2 Reales: Style of 1848
1 Real: Style of 1850
½ Real: Style of 1850
8 Reales: Style of 1851
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: Style of 1848
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: Style of 1850
8 Reales: Style of 1851
4 Reales: Style of 1850
2 Reales: Style of 1848
1 Real: Style of 1850
½ Real: Style of 1850
8 Reales: Style of 1851
4 Reales: Style of 1850
2 Reales: Style of 1848
1 Real: Style of 1850
½ Real: Style of 1850
8 Reales: Style of 1851
4 Reales: Style of 1850
2 Reales: Style of 1848
1 Real: Style of 1850
½ Real: Style of 1850
8 Reales: Style of 1851
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: Style of 1848
1 Real: Style of 1850
½ Real: Style of 1850
8 Reales: Style of 1851
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: Style of 1848
1 Real: Style of 1850
½ Real: Style of 1850
8 Reales: Style of 1851
4 Reales: Style of 1850
2 Reales: Style of 1848
1 Real: A new Style of 1859 Eagle appears on the 1859 Mexico City 1 Real coins.
1R-Mo-1859-1101b
½ Real: Style of 1850
8 Reales: Style of 1851
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: We see a new Style of 1860 2 Reales Eagle that again is short-lived; it is unique and seen only on the 1860 Mexico City 2 Reales.
2R-Mo-1860-1101a
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: Style of 1850
8 Reales: Style of 1851
4 Reales: This year (1861) sees the introduction of a new short-lived Style of 1861 4 Real Eagle, which is found only on the Mexico City 4 Reales from 1861 and 1862.
4R-Mo-1861-2102b
2 Reales: This year we find the last design for the Mexico City 2 Reales, the Style of 1861 and it will be used until the series is finished in 1868. It is interesting to note that we find three different configurations of this eagle in its first year of issue: (1) One has no dot after "MEXICANA_" (2) One has a low-level dot (3) One has a mid-level dot.
2R-Mo-1861-2101b
1 Real: Style of 1859
½ Real: Style of 1850
8 Reales: Style of 1851
4 Reales: Style of 1861
2 Reales: Style of 1861
1 Real: Style of 1859
½ Real: Style of 1850
8 Reales: Style of 1851
4 Reales: 1863 sees the last new style of Mexico City 4 Reales Eagle, the Style of 1863, which will be used until the production of 4 Reales ceases in 1868.
4R-Mo-1863-1102b
2 Reales: Style of 1861
1 Real: The last issue of the Mexico City 1 Reales has a new Style of 1863 Eagle
1R-Mo-1863-1101b
½ Real: The last issue of the ½ Real uses the Style of 1850.
8 Reales: No Production Recorded
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: No Production Recorded
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: No Production Recorded
8 Reales: No Production Recorded
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: No Production Recorded
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: No Production Recorded
8 Reales: No Production Recorded
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: No Production Recorded
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: No Production Recorded
8 Reales: We see the last Style of 1851 Eagle used this year and a new Style of 1867 Eagle begin to be used that will remain on Mexico City’s 8 Reales until mid-year 1874.
8R-Mo-1867-1201b
4 Reales: Style of 1863
2 Reales: Style of 1861
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: No Production Recorded
8 Reales: Style of 1867
4 Reales: Style of 1863
2 Reales: Style of 1861
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: No Production Recorded
8 Reales: Style of 1867
4 Reales: No Production Recorded
2 Reales: No Production Recorded
1 Real: No Production Recorded
½ Real: No Production Recorded
Whew! I’m worn out, how about you? See I told you there were a whole flock of birds of prey on the Mexico City Cap & Ray coinage; I feel sure that I have missed more than a couple. I would like to invite any of our readers who may have Mexico City silver real coinage with eagles not pictured here to contact me. If you would allow me to borrow your coins I would like to add them to the proper FoxLair Reference Collections, and I will give you full credit for your coins.
Beyond any doubt many people, including new collectors, may find this type of article useless, but as Mexican Numismatics grows it is very important that individual coins, varieties, and the many different styles of Mexican coinage are properly attributed, noted, and photos or scans of them are reproduced for future collectors. If Mexican Numismatics is to ever reach the next plateau in growth these in depth articles with actual photo reproductions of the coins will be very important for future study. Many great Mexican coin collections are currently owned by old men (like me) and once these collections are disbursed it may be impossible to gather all of these coins together again. Books like Resplandores, Hookneck, and Rob Rollo's book about the Republic 2 Escudos, to name a few, are just the beginning of a new Golden Age for Mexican Numismatics in my opinion.
If you want to see more articles about the Mexican Eagles in the future let us know. If we don’t hear any comments about the Mexican Birds of Prey, they will go to the backburner again.
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