Mexico 1963 peso
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: 26,394,000.
Specification: 16 g, .100 fine silver, .051 troy oz ASW, 34.5 mm diameter, edge lettered INDEPENDENCIA Y LIBERTAD.
Catalog reference: KM 459.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
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