Talk:Mexican Imperial Coinage

The material for this article was started with text taken from Mexican imperial coinage; the medals & coins of Augustine I (Iturbide), Maximilian the French invasion, & of the republic during the French intervention, by Benjamin Betts, which is in the public domain. The book has 16 plates, shown here, which illustrate the coins in the articles. My goal is to include photographs of these illustrated coins in the article. James

The following Supplement was provided in the book for clarification on identification of images. It is provided below for reference.

Supplement
=== The First Empire===

MEDALS AND COINS OF AUGUSTINE I
It may be remembered that the description of No. 26 of the medals of Augustine was made from a rubbing, as stated at the beginning of this work. Through the kindness of Mr. Skilton, the owner of the piece in question, I have been enabled to have a cut made from it, which will be found in the supplemental plate, and as there are some differences observable, I have thought it best to re-write the description in full from the piece itself.

26. Obverse. In the field, in the upper angle formed by a sword and sceptre crossed (the latter surmounted by the Imperial Mexican eagle), is an Imperial crown surrounded by rays which fill the field. Legend : A AGUSTlN 1° EMPERADOR CONSTITUCIONAL DE MEXICO * [To AugUStine l, Constitu- tional Emperor of Mexico.] The space between the words EMPERADOR and CONSTITUCIONAL is filled by a ribbon on which (incused) are the words GIL. TORES Reverse. A laurel wreath, open at the top and the stems tied with ribbon. The open space in the top of the wreath is filled by an eagle in flight toward the left, the head crowned and turned to the right; in the right talon he holds an olive branch with four leaves ; at each side, and above the inscription is an eight-pointed star. In the field is an inscription in SÍX lines, PROCLAMADO | EN LA VILLA DE | VILLA GUTIEREZ | DEL ÁGUILA. EL | 2. DE FEBRERO | DE 1823 [Proclaimed in the town of Villa Gutierez del Águila, February 2, 1823]. The specimen from which the engraving was made had a loop soldered on, for suspension by ribbon. Edge plain. .Silver. Size 31.

27. Obverse. In the field a monogram in two parts, in which we may read AVGVSTINVS or AGVSTIN, or by taking the larger part alone we find all the letters necessary to spell the word YVCATAN. The monogram is large and nearly fills the field. Legend: EMPERADOR CONSTITVCION.(AL) [Constitutional Emperor.] Reverse. In the field at the top, Lo ro and below, E N. parts of other letters may be found between, but too nearly obliterated to be deciphered. Legend : T-TT(S)TIMONIO DESV (the v is cut in by a chisel) FIDELIDAD. [Testimonial of its fidelity.] Rim slightly serrated. Edge plain. Sil- ver. Size 34.

The above described medal was called to my attention by Mr. Geo. F. Ulex, of Hamburg, Germany, who very kindly forwarded the piece for examination ; it was in bad order, and some of the lines were hard to make out, but the illustration gives a very good idea of the piece. There is just room for two letters between Lo and ro on the reverse, and there are slight indications that the missing letters are su or sa thus making the word Losuro or Losaro. The location is unknown, probably some town in Yucatan.

6. Peso, or Dollar, correctly described on page 18' supra. It has since been engraved, and now appears in Plate XVI.

I am also indebted to Mr. Ulex for a rubbing of a Half Ounce of Augustine, of 1823, a coin of which I had no previous knowledge, and I think hitherto unknown to American numismatists. This also I have had engraved, and it will be found in its proper place on the same plate. It should have followed the Ounce in the regular series, in which case it would have been No. n (page 19). I now make it

10a. Medio Onza, or Half Ounce. Obverse. Design and legend the same exactly as No. 10, but smaller, and the line of truncation is very irregular. Reverse. Also the same, except that the legend is МЕХ ° 1 ° IMPERATOR ° CONST1TUT ° 4 ° S ° I ° M ° [First Constitutional Emperor of Mexico. 4 Scudos and engraver's initials. Four Scudos or Escudos were equal to eight Pesos.] Rims dentilated. Gold. Size 30.

THE SECOND EMPIRE. FRENCH INTERVENTION. MEDAL OF NAPOLEON III. 10. Obverse. Laureated head of the Emperor in profile to left, in high relief. Legend : NAPOLEON n1 EMPEREUR Beneath the head DEPAULIS F. (the name of the engraver). Reverse. Legend: MINISTERE DE L'INSTRUCTION PUBLIQUE »[Minister of Public Instruction.] In the field an inscription in seven lines, COMMISSION | SCIENTIFIQUE | DU | MEXIQUE | 1864 | v. DURUY | MINISTRE A beaded circle separates the legend from the field. In my possession from the Weyl Sale, Berlin, April n, 1899. Silver. Size 35. Proof. This should follow 9 on page 26.

In conclusion I desire to make acknowledgment for most valuable assistance rendered by Mr. W. T. R. Marvin, to whom I am indebted for aid in the translations, as well as for many suggestions tending to greater completeness than would otherwise have been possible. To Mr. Geo. S. Skilton through whose kind offices many choice specimens have in the past been added to my collection, my acknowledgments are also due, and are hereby gratefully tendered. JAN 15 1920