San Mateo Huichapan Medal (1809)

This medal from 1809 commemorates the proclamation of Fernando VII in San Mateo Huichapan, an Otomi town in the present-day state of Hidalgo, in the semi-desert region of the Mezquital. Although the king was proclaimed in 1808, the oaths extended into 1809.

New Spain had sworn fidelity to Fernando VII in absentia, recognizing him as legitimate king against the usurper Joseph Bonaparte imposed by Napoleon. Huichapan was a town of Indigenous roots on the arid plains north of the capital.

A curious fate: a few years later, Huichapan would be an insurgent scene, and there in 1812 one of the first anniversaries of the Grito de Independencia was commemorated. This 1809 proclamation medal thus captures the paradox of the moment: a town swearing loyalty to its captive king shortly before joining the struggle for Independence against the very Crown to which it paid homage.

The San Mateo Huichapan medal is a silver piece struck in 1809, at the height of the movements that would mark the end of the viceregal period in Mexico. Its theme, the devotion to San Mateo Huichapan, makes it a devotional and regional testament much prized by those who collect Mexican colonial numismatics.

Struck in silver, it measures 27 millimeters in diameter and weighs 6.67 grams. Because it is a silver medal, its value has a clear floor set by the precious-metal content; above that, what drives it up is condition, the small size of the issue, and historical interest in the motif it commemorates. A piece with no wear, natural patina, and its original case is worth quite a bit more than one that has been handled or aggressively cleaned.

To value it, it helps to confirm the metal by weighing it and estimating its fine-silver content, read the legend and devotional motif calmly, check the condition for scratches or cleaning, and verify whether it retains its case or certificate, since both add collector value. Its catalog reference is Grove, Medals of México, I #F-165. Explore more pieces in the Mexican numismatics catalog and learn to read the marks in the guide on how to identify Mexican mints.