La capital de Nuevo Santander Medal (1809)

This 1809 medal commemorates the proclamation of Fernando VII in the capital of Nueva Santander, the northeastern governorship (present-day Tamaulipas) colonized in the mid-eighteenth century by José de Escandón. Although the king was proclaimed in 1808, the oaths extended into 1809 in the remote provinces.

New Spain had sworn fidelity to Fernando VII in absentia, recognizing him as legitimate king against the usurper José Bonaparte imposed by Napoleon. Nueva Santander was a young frontier province, settled only decades earlier with cattle-ranching towns along the rivers of the northeast.

That such a recent and peripheral governorship struck its own proclamation medal shows the enormous reach of the imperial ritual: even the northern frontier, newly colonized, joined the act of recognizing the captive king. These 1809 pieces bear witness to how the crisis of the monarchy mobilized even the newest and most remote territories of the viceroyalty.

The "La capital de Nuevo Santander" medal is a silver piece struck in 1809 that commemorates one of the provinces that gave rise to present-day northeastern Mexico. Its historical subject and its age make it an appealing issue for those who collect early nineteenth-century Mexican medals.

Minted in Mexico, it measures 27 millimeters in diameter and weighs 6.78 grams of silver. As a precious-metal piece, its value starts from that content: above that floor, what drives it up is condition, how short the issue was and interest in the theme it commemorates. A piece without wear and with its original case is worth considerably more than one that has been tampered with.

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 "La capital de Nuevo Santander," which defines its historical interest.
3. Check the condition. No scratches or aggressive cleaning, 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 medal is cataloged as Grove, Medals of México, I #F-89.