Mexico 1958 peso

from the Mountain Groan Collection

By the late 1950's, the Mexican peso had begun its inexorable slide. 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 (see the 1943 peso) until this design appeared 1957-67, containing 1/15th of the silver in the 1914 issue. The succeeding type (KM 460) contained no silver at all. The portrait is of José Maria Morelos, hero of the War of Independence (1810-21).

Recorded mintage: 41,899,000.

Specification: 16 g, .100 fine silver, .051 troy oz ASW, 34.5 mm diameter, edge lettered INDEPENDENCIA Y LIBERTAD.

Catalog reference: KM 459.

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.
• 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.

Link to:

• 1957 peso, Juarez/Constitution
• 1957 peso, Hidalgo
• 1958 centavo
• 1958 5 centavos, Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez
• 1959 peso
• Coins and currency dated 1958
• return to Mexican coinage of the modern era, since 1905