Mérida Medal. 400th Anniversary (1942)

In 1942 the fourth centenary of the founding of Mérida was commemorated, four hundred years of the city established in 1542 by Francisco de Montejo over the ruins of the ancient Maya city of T'hó, on the Yucatán Peninsula.

This bronze medal celebrates that anniversary of the Yucatecan capital. Mérida, with its rich colonial history and strong regional identity, is one of the oldest cities in Mexico, and its founding marked the consolidation of the Spanish conquest on the peninsula.

The piece is testimony to the taste for commemorating the great anniversaries of Mexican cities. It documents the local pride of Yucatán, a region with a personality of its own within Mexico, which celebrated its four centuries of urban history with medals.

The Mérida. 400 Aniversario medal, struck in 1942, celebrates four centuries since the founding of one of the most emblematic cities in southeastern Mexico. It is a bronze piece that commemorates a historical milestone and draws interest among those who collect Mexican commemorative medals.

It was struck in bronze, measures 39.8 millimeters in diameter, and weighs 23.01 grams. Like any bronze medal, its value comes not from the metal but from what it represents: the anniversary it celebrates, its age, and demand among collectors of the subject. Condition and the rarity of the issue are what set the price, so it is worth seeking examples with no scratches or harsh cleaning, with natural patina, and checking whether they retain a case or certificate, since that adds collector value.

You can 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, II #524b.