Quautla de Amilpas Medal (1809)

This medal from 1809 commemorates the proclamation of Fernando VII in Quautla de Amilpas (present-day Cuautla, Morelos), in the warm sugar-cane lands south of the capital. Although the king was proclaimed in 1808, the oaths of allegiance extended into 1809 in many towns.

New Spain had sworn fidelity to Fernando VII in his absence, recognizing him as the legitimate king against the usurper Jose Bonaparte imposed by Napoleon. Cuautla was a town of sugar haciendas in the fertile valley of Morelos.

Barely three years later, in 1812, Cuautla would become famous for the heroic siege of Cuautla, in which Jose Maria Morelos and his insurgents resisted the royalist siege for months. This proclamation medal of 1809 thus captures the irony of the moment: a town that swore loyalty to its king shortly before becoming the legendary setting of the War of Independence against the very Crown it now honored.

The Quautla de Amilpas medal is a silver piece struck in 1809 that commemorates an episode tied to Quautla de Amilpas, in the turbulent years preceding independent Mexico. Its thematic weight and its age make it a coveted object for those who collect New Spain medals.

Struck in silver, it measures 27.3 millimeters in diameter and weighs 6.76 grams. Being a silver medal, its value has a floor set by the precious-metal content; above that, what lifts it is condition, the short run of the issue, and interest in the theme it commemorates. A piece with no wear and its original case is worth considerably more than one that has been handled.

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 Quautla de Amilpas, which defines its historical interest.
3. Check the condition. No scratches or harsh cleanings, 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-48.