Mexico 1857-Pi MC 1/2 real

Stack's Bowers June 2026 World Premier Collectors Choice Auction, lot 72233

This specimen was lot 72233 in Stack's Bowers June 2026 World Premier Collectors Choice Auction (Costa Mesa, CA, June 2026), where it sold for $149. The catalog description^[1] noted, "MEXICO. 1/2 Real, 1857-Pi MC. San Luis Potosi Mint. NGC VF-30. Rare date. Only example graded by NGC. Adjustment marks on cap. From the Kirk Menczer Collection of Republican Reales Minors." Of the fourteen mints of the Republic of Mexico, only Oaxaca and Real de Catorce did not strike this type. The San Luis Potosi mint struck half reales 1831, 1841-63 and most are scarcer than the SCWC indicates. Assayer MC (Mariano Catano, 1849-59) and assayer PS (Pompaso Sanabria, 1842-61) both issued half reales in 1857, with the 1857-MC listed as common and the 1857-PS as somewhat scarce.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 1.69 g, 0.903 fine silver, .049 troy oz ASW.

Catalog reference: KM-370.10.

Source:

• Busse, Dave, A Minor Challenge: A Study of Mexican Republic Silver ¼, ½, 1, 2 and 4 Reales Die Styles,, Harlingen, TX: 2018.
• Buttrey, T. V., and Clyde Hubbard, A Guide Book of Mexican Coins, 1822 to date, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 1992.
• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
• Utberg, Neil S., The Coins of Mexico, 1536-1963, San Antonio, TX, 1963.
• ^[1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, June 2026 World Premier Collectors Choice Auction - Selections from the L.E. Bruun Collection, the Richard Margolis Collection and the Kirk Menczer Collection of Republican Reales Minors, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2026.

Links to:

• 1856-P^I ½ real
• Guanajuato 1857 1/8 real
• Guanajuato 1857 1/4 real
• Jalisco 1857 1/8 real
• 1857-SLP^I ¼ real
• 1857-C ½ real
• 1857-G^A ½ real
• 1857-G^O ½ real
• 1857-M^O ½ real
• 1857-P^I PS ½ real
• 1857-Z^S ½ real
• 1857-C real
• 1857-D^O real
• 1857-G^A real
• 1857-G^O real
• 1857-M^O real
• 1857-P^I real
• 1857-Z^S real
• 1857-C 2 reales
• 1857-G^A 2 reales
• 1857-G^O 2 reales
• 1857-M^O 2 reales
• 1857-P^I 2 reales
• 1857-G^A 4 reales
• 1857-G^O 4 reales
• 1857-P^I MC 4 reales
• 1857-P^I PS 4 reales
• 1857-Z^S 4 reales
• 1857-C^A 8 reales
• 1857-C 8 reales
• 1857-D^O 8 reales
• 1857-G^A 8 reales
• 1857-G^O 8 reales
• 1857-M^O 8 reales
• 1857-P^I MC 8 reales
• 1857-P^I PS 8 reales
• 1857-Z^S 8 reales
• 1857-C ½ escudo
• 1857-G^O ½ escudo
• 1857-M^O ½ escudo
• 1857-C escudo
• 1857-G^A escudo
• 1857-C 2 escudos
• 1857-G^O 4 escudos
• 1857-M^O 4 escudos
• 1857-C 8 escudos
• 1857-D^O 8 escudos
• 1857-G^O 8 escudos
• 1857-M^O 8 escudos
• 1858-P^I ½ real
• Coins and currency dated 1857
• return to Mexican imperial and republican coinage, 1822-1905