Mexico 1814-Mo 1/16 real

photo courtesy Ira & Larry Goldberg

photo courtesy Ira & Larry Goldberg

This enigmatic copper coin was struck in Mexico City 1814-15. Its face value is 1/8 pilon or 1/16 real. Survivors are nearly always in low grade. The specimen shown is poorly struck, corroded in spots and ineptly cleaned and retoned yet it is far superior than those usually seen.

There are larger copper coins of the same period, 1/4 tlaco (1/8 real) and 2/4 senal (1/4 real). Attempts by colonial authorites to issue copper coins had failed before and this type was no exception. After independence, state and federal authorities issued massive quantities of copper and brass coins, fully justifying the people's distrust of such fiat coinage.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: copper.

Catalog reference: Cayón-14800, KM 59.

Source:

• Cayón, Adolfo, Clemente Cayón and Juan Cayón, Las Monedas Españolas, del Tremis al Euro: del 411 a Nuestros Dias, 2 volumes, Madrid: Cayón-Jano S.L., 2005.
• Calicó, Xavier, Numismática Española: Catálogo General con Precios de Todas las Monedas Españolas Acuñadas desde Los Reyes Católicos Hasta Juan Carlos I, 1474 a 2001, Barcelona: Aureo & Calicó, 2008.
• Harper, David C., ed., North American Coins & Prices: A Guide to U. S., Canadian and Mexican Coins, 17th Ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2007.

Link to:

• 1814-M^O 1/8 real
• Sierra de Pinos 1814 1/4 real
• 1814-M^O copper ¼ real
• 1814-M^O ½ real
• 1814-G^A ½ real
• 1814-D real
• 1814-G^A real
• 1814-M^O real
• Supreme National Congress 1814 2 reales, struck in copper
• 1814-G^A 2 reales
• 1814 2 reales
• 1814-G^A 4 reales
• Oaxaca 1814 8 reales, "SUD OAXACA"
• 1814-G^A 8 reales
• 1814-D 8 reales
• 1814-M^O HJ 8 reales
• 1814-M^O JJ 8 reales
• 1814-Z^S 8 reales
• 1814-M^O ½ escudo
• 1814-M^O escudo
• 1814-M^O 2 escudos
• 1814-M^O 4 escudos
• 1814-M^O 8 escudos
• Coins and currency dated 1814
• return to Mexican colonial coinage, 1536-1822