Mexico 1979 100 pesos

from the Mountain Groan Collection

By the late 1970's, the Mexican economy was running into trouble. Political mismanagement, corruption, an antiquated tax structure were feeding inflation. Coin types, once stable in the early part of the century, began turning over more rapidly as inflation ate away their purchasing power. While this gave employment to coin designers and engravers, it limited their scope of action as progressively cheaper alloys were adopted. The peso, originally a large silver coin (KM 453), progressively shrank until it contained no silver at all. In an attempt to keep silver circulating, progressively larger denominations were introduced, including this hundred pesos of 1977-79 which featured José Morelos. When the hundred pesos was reintroduced in 1984, inflation had reduced it to an aluminum bronze coin.

Recorded mintage: 784,000.

Specification: 27.77 g, 0.720 fine silver.

Catalog reference: KM 483.2.

Source:

• 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.
• 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, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.

Link to:

• 1978 100 pesos
• 1979 10 centavos
• 1979 20 centavos, Madero
• 1979 50 centavos, Cuauhtémoc
• 1979 peso, copper-nickel
• 1979 10 pesos
• 1979 onza
• 1980 peso
• 1984 100 pesos, Carranza
• 1985 100 pesos, World Cup
• Coins and currency dated 1979
• return to Mexican coinage of the modern era, since 1905