Sociedad Antonio Alzate Medal (1909)

The Antonio Alzate Scientific Society was one of the most important scientific institutions of Porfiriato Mexico. Founded in honor of the New Spain scholar José Antonio Alzate, it brought together mathematicians, naturalists, physicians, and engineers devoted to research.

This bronze medal of 1909 commemorates that scientific corporation. During the regime of Porfirio Díaz, science was promoted as a pillar of progress, and societies like this one gave the country intellectual prestige and connected it with the international scientific community.

The piece is testimony to the scientific flourishing of Porfirian Mexico. It documents the role of these institutions in the country's intellectual life, in a tradition of research that would survive the Revolution and lay the foundations for 20th-century Mexican science.

The Sociedad Antonio Alzate medal, struck in 1909, pays tribute to one of the most important scientific bodies of Porfirian Mexico, heir to the name of the New Spain scholar José Antonio Alzate. It is a piece that appeals to those who collect the history of Mexican science and the medallic art of the early 20th century.

It is made of bronze, measures 36.95 millimeters in diameter and weighs 16.78 grams. Like any bronze medal, its value comes not from the metal but from what it commemorates: the event it celebrates, its age within the 1821-1910 era, and demand among collectors of the theme. Condition and the rarity of the issue are what determine the price.

To identify and value it, it helps to confirm that it is bronze, read the legend and the motif that refer to the Sociedad Antonio Alzate, check that it has no scratches or harsh cleaning and that it retains its natural patina, and look for the original case or certificate if it came with them, since they add collector value. Explore more pieces in the Mexican numismatics catalog and learn to read the marks in the how to identify Mexican mints guide. Its catalog reference is Grove, Medals of México, II #378b.