San Miguel Medal (1887)

The cult of Saint Michael the Archangel has been among the most widespread in Mexico since the colonial era. Numerous parishes, towns, and confraternities took him as patron, and his feast day drew large religious celebrations in many localities across the country.

This 1887 silver medal relates to that devotion, in a Mexico where religion still shaped the calendar and community life despite the Reform Laws. During the Porfiriato, Church and State maintained a pragmatic coexistence that allowed these expressions of faith to keep being minted.

Religious medals of this kind were worn as objects of personal devotion or handed out at patron-saint festivals. They are testimony to the deep popular religiosity that coexisted with the liberal Mexico of the late nineteenth century.

The San Miguel medal of 1887 is a devotional piece in silver that commemorates the figure of the archangel, a theme of strong religious roots in 19th-century Mexico. At just 30.27 millimeters in diameter and 14.79 grams in weight, it sums up in a compact format the art of the era's medal-making.

Being a silver medal, its value has a clear floor: the precious-metal content of 14.79 grams. Above that, what pushes it higher is condition, the small size of the issue, and interest in the subject 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 San Miguel, 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, II #247a.