Tacuba, Mexico Medal (1808)

This 1808 medal commemorates the proclamation of Fernando VII in Tacuba, an ancient pre-Hispanic lordship (Tlacopan) integrated into the Valley of Mexico, today part of the capital. The year was one of deep crisis owing to the Bayonne abdications imposed by Napoleon.

New Spain swore fidelity to Fernando VII in absentia, recognizing him as the legitimate king against the usurper Joseph Bonaparte. Tacuba had been, in Mexica times, one of the three head-towns of the Triple Alliance alongside Tenochtitlan and Texcoco; in the colonial period it was a town in the capital's surroundings with deep Indigenous roots.

That a community of this origin struck its proclamation medal shows how the ritual of fidelity to the king brought together towns of every kind, including those of ancient Indigenous nobility. These 1808 pieces bear witness to the moment when the whole viceroyalty, in its diversity, swore to a captive monarch shortly before the independence outbreak.

The Tacuba, México medal struck in 1808 is a small silver piece that commemorates this historic locality in the Valley of Mexico, today much prized by those who collect colonial and early-19th-century medallic art. At just 27 millimeters in diameter and 6.74 grams in weight, it is a modest object yet laden with history.

Because it is silver, its value has a clear floor: the precious-metal content, those 6.74 grams of silver. Above that, what drives it up 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 quite a bit 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 motif. It commemorates Tacuba, México, which defines its historical interest.
3. Check the condition. No scratches or aggressive cleaning, with natural patina.
4. Look for the case and 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 piece is cataloged as Grove, Medals of México, I #F-188.