Orizaba Medal (1791)

Struck in 1791, this medal commemorates the proclamation of Carlos IV in the Villa de Orizaba, on the temperate-climate Veracruz slope. Although the king ascended the throne in 1788, the oath of allegiance reached many inland towns over the course of 1789, 1790, and even 1791.

Orizaba was a prosperous town tied to the cultivation and trade of tobacco, located on the route linking the port of Veracruz with the capital. Its repeated participation in the oaths (it issued medals in several years) shows how deeply rooted the ritual of loyalty to the king was in the mid-sized towns of the viceroyalty.

Proclamation medals like this one were the way each community joined, at its own scale, the great imperial act of recognizing the new sovereign. Distributed among notables during the festivities, they served as lasting testimony of loyalty to the Crown that ruled from distant Spain.

The Orizaba medal of 1791 is a silver piece that commemorates the city of Orizaba, a token struck more than two centuries ago that today draws the interest of those who collect Mexican medals of the viceregal period. Its small format and its age make it a coveted object within the country's historical numismatics.

Struck in silver, it measures 29 millimeters in diameter and weighs 6.71 grams. Being a precious metal piece, its value has a floor set by the silver content, but what really drives it up is the condition, the small size of the issue, and the interest in the theme it commemorates. A medal with no wear, with a natural patina and its original case, is worth considerably more than a handled or harshly cleaned one.

To value it, it is worth confirming the metal by weighing it, reading the legend and the motif that give it its historical interest, checking that it has no scratches or heavy cleanings, and looking for the case or certificate if it had them, since they add 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. Its catalog reference is Grove, Medals of México, I #C-104.