Puebla. Sociedad Poblana de Artesanos Medal (1895)

The expositions were showcases of progress during the Porfiriato, where artisans, industrialists, and farmers displayed their products and competed for prizes. The Sociedad Poblana de Artesanos organized and took part in these contests that honored manual labor.

This large bronze medal of 1895, in the expositions category, was awarded at those Puebla events. Puebla had one of the strongest mutualist and manufacturing traditions in the country, with heavy activity in the textile and artisanal sector.

The piece documents how the artisan societies combined mutualism with the exhibition of their work as a sign of dignity and progress. It is a testament to the role of the organized guilds in the economic life of Porfirian Mexico, before the Revolution.

The Puebla. Sociedad Poblana de Artesanos medal, struck in 1895, is a testament to Puebla's guild pride at the end of the Porfiriato, when artisan associations celebrated their trade with commemorative pieces of great symbolic charge. This bronze example, generous in size, preserves the spirit of an era when Puebla shone as one of the most important craft centers in Mexico.

Being a bronze medal, its value does not come from the metal but from what it represents: the event it celebrates, its age within the 1821-1910 era, and demand among collectors interested in the subject. Condition and the rarity of the issue set the price. To value it, it is worth confirming the metal, reading the legend that identifies it, checking that it has no scratches or aggressive cleanings, and preserving its natural patina. If it ever had a case or certificate, these add collector value. It measures 45.83 millimeters in diameter and weighs 59.61 grams.

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, II #E-351b.