El Buen Tono, S.A Medal

This commercial medal belongs to El Buen Tono, S.A., the celebrated cigarette factory founded by the French entrepreneur Ernesto Pugibet and inaugurated in 1884. During the Porfiriato it was the country's most important tobacco company, a pioneer in advertising, in the use of lithography for its packs, and even in comics and national radio.

Companies of this size used tokens and medals as part of their campaigns and reward or voucher systems. El Buen Tono came to occupy a whole city block in Mexico City and to employ thousands of workers, leaving a notable commercial and cultural mark.

Cataloged by Grove among the commercial pieces and struck in silver, it has no registered year. Its value lies in the connection to one of the most emblematic brands of early twentieth-century Mexico.

The El Buen Tono, S.A medal is a piece struck in silver that commemorates one of the most emblematic tobacco companies of late-19th and early-20th-century Mexico, when El Buen Tono came to be synonymous with industrial modernity in the country. At 30.05 millimeters in diameter and 11.76 grams in weight, it is an object that combines historical interest and precious-metal content.

Being made of silver, its value starts from a floor: the 11.76 grams of fine metal it contains. Above that floor, what raises its price is condition, the small size of the issue, and interest in the subject it commemorates. A piece with no wear, natural patina, and its original case is worth considerably more than one that has been handled or harshly cleaned.

How to identify and value this medal

1. Confirm the metal. It is silver; weigh it to estimate its fine-metal content.
2. Read the legend and the motif. It commemorates El Buen Tono, S.A and defines its historical interest.
3. Check the condition. No scratches or harsh cleanings, with natural patina.
4. Look for the case and the certificate if it had them: 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, this piece is cataloged as Grove, Medals of México, II #B-99a.