Premio Particular Medal. El Gral. Mariano Jimenez (1883)

Private award medals were usually commissioned by institutions, schools or benefactors to recognize outstanding students and individuals. This 1883 piece bears the name of General Mariano Jiménez, in a Mexico where military men and officials sponsored distinctions that carried their name as a display of patronage.

The context is the Porfiriato, a stage in which Porfirio Díaz consolidated his power leaning on the army, the bureaucracy and a network of notables who financed the civic and educational life of the country.

The piece was engraved by S. Navalón G., an engraver active in the official workshops of the era. These small silver merit medals circulated as objects of prestige and are today prized pieces of 19th-century Mexican medallic art.

The "Premio particular. El Gral. Mariano Jiménez" medal was struck in 1883. It is made of silver, measures 30.13 mm in diameter and weighs 13.01 grams, the work of engraver S. Navalón G.. In specialized catalogs it appears referenced as Grove, Medals of México, II #S-303a.

Because it is a silver medal, its value has a floor: its precious-metal content (13.01 grams). Above that, what drives it higher is condition, how short the issue was, and interest in the subject it commemorates (Premio particular. El Gral. Mariano Jiménez). A piece with no wear and its original case is worth considerably more than a mishandled one.

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 "Premio particular. El Gral. Mariano Jiménez," which defines its historical interest.
3. Check the condition. No scratches or harsh cleaning, with a natural patina.
4. Look for the case and 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.