1979 Pure Silver Troy Ounce

The 1979 Pure Silver Troy Ounce is a piece struck by the Casa de Moneda de Mexico (Mexican Mint) in 0.925 silver, also called sterling. It weighs 33.625 grams, measures 41 millimeters in diameter, and has a reeded edge. The obverse shows the scale of justice over a spear and a quiver of arrows, a design that we collectors find unmistakable because it marks the starting point of a whole tradition.

This ounce belongs to the first stage of the Mexican silver ounces, the one that came before the Libertad with the Angel that would arrive in 1982. The scale and justice motif accompanied these early issues, conceived more as investment ounces than as commemoratives in the usual sense, at a time when Mexico was strongly returning to silver coinage. That is why it carries the weight indicated right on the die: the troy ounce as a unit, not a denomination in pesos.

For anyone building a collection of Mexican ounces, the 1979 has a clear reference value: it is among the first of the Balanza (Scale) type, earlier than the .999 fineness that would come later, and that makes it an essential piece for context. Its value is set above all by the state of preservation, since being sterling silver and frequently handled, finding examples without rubs or uneven patina is not always easy. In high grades it gains considerably over those showing circulation wear or careless storage.

The Onza Troy de Plata Pura is the first official Mexican bullion series of the modern era. Originally struck in 1949 with a single mintage of 1,000,000 pieces, the series remained discontinued for nearly three decades until it resumed in 1978 under the denomination KM# M49b. Between 1978 and 1980 three annual issues were struck, with minor varieties by year in the position of the scale and in typographic spacing. In 1982 this series was discontinued when the Libertad silver ounce at .999 purity began, formally authorized by the DOF decree of July 14, 1982. The Onza Troy was struck in .925 silver (not in .999 like the later Libertad), with a gross weight of 33.625 g containing exactly 1 troy ounce (31.103 g) of pure silver. The nickname "Onza Balanza" or "Balance Scale Onza" in international markets comes from the main motif of the reverse: the traditional trade scale. A continuation of the bullion series. Approximate mintage 4,000,000. Minor varieties by scale position.