Description

The Libertad coins are silver and gold bullion coins originating from Mexico and minted by the La Casa de Moneda de México (Mexican Mint). The Mexican Mint was established in 1535 and is the oldest mint in the Americas. The modern coins contain 99.9% silver or gold (.999 fineness) and are available in various sizes. Libertads are devoid of face value, yet are still accepted as currency and guaranteed by Banco de México based on the market value of its gold or silver content.

FRONT: The Coat of arms of Mexico is shown with a Mexican golden eagle perched on a prickly pear cactus devouring a rattlesnake. This imagery relates to the founding of Tenochtitlan, present-day Mexico City. The coat of arms is rooted in the legend where the god Huitzilopochtli told the Aztec people where to build their city where they saw an eagle eating a snake on top of a cactus. The bottom half of the coat of arms has oak and laurel leaves encircling the eagle. The top half has the words Estados Unidos Mexicanos (United Mexican States) encircling the eagle. In 2000, the silver obverse was changed to depict the current Mexican national coat of arms along with 10 past versions of this symbol surrounding it.

BACK: The design used was based on the 1921 gold Centenaro, a coin issued to mark the centennial of Mexican independence. The winged Angel Victoria Libertad (Lady Libertad) of Independence is in front with the volcanoes Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl in the background. The weight (ONZA (1 Oz.), date, and purity are also listed.