Durango Medal (1822)

A proclamation and oath medal of Durango for the Empire of Agustin I, struck in 1822 within the great series of municipal pieces with which the cities swore loyalty to the new emperor.

With Independence achieved, Iturbide led the project of a Mexican monarchy and was crowned as Agustin I. Cities across the country, from the center to the north, commissioned commemorative medals for their ceremonies of recognition.

Durango, capital of a vast mining and ranching region in the north, added its own to that group. These oath pieces, almost always in silver, are today a direct testimony of the First Empire, that first attempt at government of independent Mexico which lasted only a few months.

The Durango medal of 1822 is a commemorative silver piece that pays tribute to this historic region of northern Mexico, struck in the country's first years of independent life. Its motif dedicated to Durango makes it an object of great interest for those who collect early Mexican numismatics.

With 32 millimeters in diameter and 13.47 grams of silver, its value starts from the precious-metal content. Above that floor, what drives it up is condition, the small size of the issue, and the appeal of the subject it commemorates. A piece with no wear, natural patina, and its original case is worth quite a bit more than one that has been handled or aggressively cleaned.

To identify and value it, it helps to confirm the metal by weighing it to estimate its fine-silver content, read the legend and motif that link it to Durango, check that it has no scratches or aggressive cleaning, and look for the original case or certificate if it had them, since they add collector value. Explore more pieces in the Mexican numismatics catalog and learn to read the marks in the guide on how to identify Mexican mints. For the collector, its catalog reference is Grove, Medals of México II #25a.