Mexico 1998 onza
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. In 1996, the Libertad was completely redesigned. The module was increased from 36 to 40 mm and the statue of Libertad is depicted from the side rather than from the front. Unfortunately, this redesign corresponded with a period of low silver prices and sales were generally poor. The eagle side was redesigned in 2000. The second specimen was lot 1572 in Stephen Album sale 43 (Santa Rosa, CA, May 2022), where it sold for $510. The catalog description[1] noted, "MEXICO: Estados Unidos, AR onza, 1998-Mo, better date, NGC graded MS68."
Recorded mintage: 67,000 + 500 proofs, one of the scarcest dates.
Specification: 31.1 g, .999 fine silver, 1.00 troy oz ASW, reeded edge, 40 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM 613.
- 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]Album, Stephen, Joseph Lang, Paul Montz, Michael Barry and Norman Douglas Nicol, Auction 43, Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2022.
Link to:
- 1997 onza, silver
- 1998 20 centavos
- 1998 50 centavos
- 1998 peso
- 1998 2 pesos
- 1998 5 pesos, 1 oz silver, disco de la muerte
- 1998 5 pesos, 1 oz silver, jaguar stele
- 1998 bimetallic 10 pesos
- 1998 100 pesos, 1 oz gold, snake sculpture
- 1998 100 pesos, 1 oz gold, eagle sculpture
- 1998 ¼ onza, silver
- 1998 2 onzas, silver
- 1999 ½ onza, silver
- 1999 onza
- Coins and currency dated 1998
- return to Mexican coinage of the modern era, since 1905