Mexico 1912-M 50 centavos
The first specimen was lot 70629 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, May 2023), where it sold for $216. The catalog description[1] noted, "MEXICO. 50 Centavos, 1912-M. Mexico City Mint. PCGS MS-64. Pure argent surfaces flaunt brilliant luster from all angles. A wonderful example with strong technical qualities for the near Gem level." This specimen is a better date of a series struck 1905-18 at the Mexico City mint. Overdates 1913/07 and 1913/2 are recorded for the year, both awarded a substantial premium in the SCWC. This fifty centavos piece replaced the fifty centavo piece struck 1869-95 under the Republic. The older coin was 13.54 g, 0.903 fine. It, in turn, was replaced by a smaller fifty centavos piece in 1918. The last branch mints, Zacatecas and Culiacan, were closed in 1905 and all official Mexican coinage since has borne the Mexico City mintmark ("M" or "Mo").
Recorded mintage: 3,736,000.
Specification: 12.5 g, 0.800 fine silver, .321 troy oz ASW.
Catalog reference: KM-445.
- Amaya Guerra, Carlos Abel, Epitome Ilustrado de la Moneda Mexican Moderna, 1905 a 2015, Monterrey, Mexico, 2015.
- Bailey, Don and Lois, Whitman Encyclopedia of Mexican Money, Volume 1, An Illustrated History of Mexican Coins and Currency, Atlanta: Whitman Publishing, 2014.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Buttrey, T. V., and Clyde Hubbard, A Guide Book of Mexican Coins, 1822 to date, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 1992.
- Harris, Robert P., A Guide Book of Modern Latin American Coins, Racine, WI: Whitman Publishing Co., 1966.
- Utberg, Neil S., The Coins of Mexico, 1536-1963, San Antonio, TX, 1963.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, May 2023 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, Featuring the Richard Elliott Collection of Hooknecks, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
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