Initials on 8 Reales coins of the Durango Mint: 1842, 1848 Y 1849
by Clyde Hubbard
All of the 8 Reales coins of the Durango mint dated 1848 and some of the 1849 pieces have initials that were placed on them by the engraver of the dies. These exist in several combinations of B G Y, B G and Y distributed on the obverse and reverse representing the initials of the mint director, Bernardo Georgy. A table of varieties noted is included below showing the date, assayer and position of the initials on the 1848 and 1849 pieces. More varieties probably exist but these·are the ones we have confirmed.
| 8 Reales examples noted with the initials of Bernardo Georgy | ||||
| Date | Assayer | Obverse | Reverse | |
| 1 | 1848/7 | RM | B G high on mound | B G in rays at 11 and 12 o’clock |
| 2 | 1848/7 | RM | B (G) high on mound | B G in rays at 11 and 12 o’clock |
| 3 | 1848 | RM | B G high | B G in rays at 11 and 12 o’clock |
| 4 | 1848 | C/RM | B G low, below water lines | B G in rays at 11 and 12 o’clock |
| 5 | 1848 | CM | B G low: Y on eagle | B G in rays at 11 and 12 o’clock |
| 6 | 1848 | CM | B G low: Y on eagle | B G in rays at 12 and 1 o’clock |
| 7 | 1848 | CM | B G low: Y on eagle | B G Y in rays at 12, 1 and 7 o’clock |
| 8 | 1848 | CM | Y on eagle | B G Y in rays at 12, 1 and 7 o’clock |
| 9 | 1848 | CM | B G low; Y on eagle | Y at 7 o’clock |
| 10 | 1848 | CM | Y on eagle | Y at 7 o’clock |
| 11 | 1849 | JMR | Y on eagle | B G Y in rays at 12, 1 and 7 o’clock |
An explanation of the B G Y initials is found in the first published report of the Mexican Republican mints entitled Memoria de Hacienda sobre Casas de Moneda de la Republica. Mexico. 1849. Further details appear in Volume II of Dr. Alberto F. Pradeau's Historia Numísmatica de México, published in 1960. Dr. Pradeau was unable to confirm where the initials were placed.
The first printed reference to the 1842 piece with a B on the obverse appeared in A Guidebook of Mexican Coins 1823 to Date. 3rd edition by T.V. Buttrey and Clyde Hubbard but no indication was given as to the significance of the letter B.
Brief notes on the history of the Durango Republican mint will help to clarify the mystery of the initials.
The State of Durango leased the mint in 1829 for a period of 15 years to Manuel Bras de Fer and José Antonio Pescador. Records for the year 1840 show that Bras de Fer was director of the mint in that year. From this it may be inferred that the letter B on the obverse of the 8 Reales of 1842 stands for Bras de Fer. None of the 1842 dies with the French type eagle and only some of the Mexican type eagle of that year bear the letter. The lease expired on 24 November 1844 at which time the mint was closed in absence of instructions about a new lease. On 5 February 1845 the State assembly signed a temporary lease with a German citizen, German Stahlknecht, making him mint director.
By a law of 17 November 1824[text needed], all mints came under the control of the respective states in which they were situated; however, the centralist system of government prevailing after 27 October 1835 left the states with very little liberty of action. A law of 17 September 1846[text needed] stated that coinage was an exclusive right of the national government so that mints no longer came under the control of the local governments.
On 28 October 1845 the federal monetary commission recommended that the Durango mint be operated by the government and not leased to private parties, but Hacienda authorities did not approve the idea. A request was made by Joaquín Roldan to have the mint contract put up for public auction; nevertheless, the provisional contract made with Stahlknecht was reconfirmed as of 23 July 1846.
Shortly after this it was noted that the actual director of the mint was Carlos Stahlknecht, brother of German. It was also observed that counterfeit coins were circulating in the area of the type, diameter, thickness and having all other characteristics of the genuine coins. Some such when presented to the mint assayer for examination were pronounced genuine at first sight but were found to be spurious when subjected to analysis. The fineness was only 5 dineros 12½ granos (about .460) instead of the legal 10 dineros 20 granos (about .902).
We have seen numerous examples of the counterfeits of the Durango of the type mentioned. Newly minted coins looked perfect but became off-color when circulated, having half the amount of silver as specified by law. The ones most commonly seen are dated 1833 and were made with genuine dies of the type made in France for Durango. Dr. Pradeau mentions other varieties of counterfeits which we have also seen, but the ones that caused the big scandal were of the French eagle type made with original mint dies.
After confirming that bad money was in circulation the government named an inspector, Dionisio Guerrero Tavizon, to check mint operations. When Guerrero Tavizon began to check the foundry records Carlos Stahlknecht transferred the mint lease to Bernardo Georgy. Confrontations between Georgy and the government inspector became so disagreeable that Georgy prohibited the inspector from entering the mint premises, ordering the guard at the door to use arms if necessary to keep him out.
Too many inconsistencies and violations of the terms of the lease existed so that the contract which still had four years to run was rescinded on 6 June 1849. During the arguments and counterarguments that preceded this action it came out that Georgy had placed his initials on coins struck during his directorship to distinguish them from the counterfeits that were circulating. This of course was in direct violation of government regulations regarding coinage. The strange circumstances provided us with many numismatic curiosities in the 8 reales series.