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The Mexican Libertad Silver Bullion Coin |
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The silver Libertad is minted in the Casa de Moneda de Mexico, the oldest mint in North America. Coins have been minted here since colonial times beginning in 1536. Mexico holds a world renowned reputation for producing some of the largest and purest silver coins. The 1 oz. Libertad is a national treasure coin and minted under the authority of the Banco de Mexico. This coin is striking in its beauty and purity. As a result, like Silver Eagles in America, Panda coins in China, Philharmonic coins in Austria, Britannias in Great Britain, Silver Kookaburras in Australia, and Canadian Silver Maple Leafs in Canada, they are usually prized by bullion collectors worldwide. The Libertad was briefly minted in 1949 but discontinued until 1982. The current coin carries the same basic design elements as its predecessor with a redesign authorized in 1996 by Banco de Mexico. |
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The redesign was officially characterized as more pleasing then the original, while retaining the essential elements in its obverse, "Heads" side and its reverse "Tails" side. The obverse side shows the national symbol of Mexico. The eagle with a snake grasped in its beak standing atop a cactus. The battle scene is surrounded by the motto, “Estados Unidos Mexicanos,” imprinted on a wreath. This is surrounded by ten previous seals of the state of Mexico dating back to the 16th century colonial seal known as the Mendocino Codex. Since 1996, the reverse depicts the mythical love story of Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl. Iztaccihuatl was the maiden daughter of a tribal king. Her suitor Popocatepetl asked for her hand in marriage. The king consented to the marriage only if the young warrior could conquer the enemy in battle. Popocatepetl was successful but was late in his return to his beloved. Fearing that he had died, Iztaccihuatl perished of a broken heart. To honor her, Popocatepetl laid her upon a mountain range of volcanoes and eternally kept vigil on the adjacent peak that bears his name. These two volcanoes are depicted on the coin behind a rendition of the Golden Angel of Independence statue that stands on a column in Mexico City. Around the top of the coin there is an inscription that includes the numerical size, a declaration of pure silver in Spanish, "PLATA PURA," the total ounces of silver contained in the coin, the issue date and the numbers,".999". The Libertad has one troy ounce of silver with a purity of 99.9 percent. It has a diameter of 40 millimeters with a reed edge. Aside from the 1949 and 1982 minting, it has been continuously minted to meet collector and investment demand since 1991. Related article: - Price of Silver |
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By buysilvercoins.org.uk Friday, July 15, 2011 - Site map - Privacy policy |