Mexico 1999 1/2 onza

Stack's Bowers 2025 NYINC sale, lot 39384

This specimen was lot 39384 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2025), where it sold for $65. The catalog description^[1] noted, "MEXICO. Silver 1/2 Onza, 1999. Mexican (Potosi) Mint. PCGS MS-67." In 1949 the Mexico City mint issued the world's first onza to modest success. It tried again in 1980 with a resurrection of the 1949 design. In 1982 the medallion (technically, Libertads are not coins) was redesigned to use the obverse from the 1921 two pesos. The weight was reduced and the fineness increased from .925 to .999 silver. The medallion was an immediate hit. It was the only silver bullion coin on the market for several years and, backed by the Mexican government, outcompeted private mint issues. It inspired imitations such as the U. S. silver eagle (from 1986) and the Canadian Maple Leaf (from 1988) which have cut into its market share to the point where several of the later dates are downright rare. Fractionals, including this half ounce, are much scarcer. The type is recorded for 1996-2024.

Recorded mintage: 7,400 plus 600 proofs.

Specification: 15.55 g, 0.999 fine silver, 33 mm diameter.

Catalog reference: KM-612.

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.
Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
^[1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2025 NYINC Showcase Auction, featuring the Richard Margolis Collection, Part III, and the Richard August Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.

Links to:

Mexico 1999 1/2 onza

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