1 oz Libertad Silver 2002

The 1 oz Libertad silver 2002 is the bullion issue from the Casa de Moneda de Mexico (the Mexican Mint) for that year, with a denomination of 1 troy ounce of .999 pure silver. The piece weighs 31.103 g, measures 40 mm in diameter, and features a reeded edge. It belongs to the Nueva Serie (New Series) die, in use since the 1996 redesign and made official by the decree published in the Diario Oficial de la Federacion (the Official Gazette of the Federation) on May 20, 1999. The obverse carries the Escudo Nacional (the National Coat of Arms) surrounded by historic eagles and elements from the Codice Mendocino (the Mendoza Codex), while the reverse shows the Winged Victory from the Angel de la Independencia (the Angel of Independence monument) with the Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl volcanoes in the background.

The Banxico CM10 table (Annual, Pieces, Balances) reports an official mintage of 4,972 pieces in satin finish for 2002. This entry catalogs the satin version, the parent of the ON family within the year. The piece is assigned the identifier PSM-ON.0164 within the PSM System (Pesoteca . Sistema Mexicano).

1 troy oz silver Libertad 2002 Regular BU

This piece is the silver Libertad of 1 troy oz, struck by the Mexican Mint in 2002 in its Regular BU version.

Technical sheet. It contains 31.1 g of pure silver, .999 fineness, and measures 40 mm in diameter. On the reverse it bears the effigy of the Angel of Independence, chosen by Banxico as the official symbol of the series since 1981. On the obverse appears the National Coat of Arms in its pre-1969 version, alongside other historical coats of arms as an identity mark of the family.

Role within the set. It is the flagship piece of the series. Its annual mintage is the highest of the whole set and it is Mexico's official bullion benchmark. Collectors and physical silver investors always chase this denomination first.

Context of the year. In 2002 Vicente Fox Quesada was in office. A historic floor was recorded in the price of silver near 4.24 USD per troy ounce. A good year to accumulate cheap fractionals.

Regular BU finish. The Regular finish, cataloged by Banxico as satin or BU, is obtained with dies without special polishing. The result is an even matte luster over the entire surface, without mirror contrast between fields and relief. It is the traditional bullion finish: it is bought for its weight in pure silver plus a modest die premium. It is the version collectors seek to build the complete set by year without decapitalizing on every piece.

Mintage. Banxico reported in its official tables a minting of 4,972 pieces for this combination of fraction, year, and finish. That number is the basis for measuring the relative scarcity of the piece within the program.