Pre-Columbian Collections

by Don Bailey

Timed to coincide with celebrations of the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the New World in 1492, this series of commemorative coins honoured six pre-Columbian civilisations: the Aztec, Central Veracruz, Maya, Olmec, Teotihuacán and Toltec cultures. Each collection comprised:

Three silver coins of a single design, in weights of ¼, ½ and 1 ounce (sold individually and in sets);
Three additional silver 1-ounce designs;
One silver 5-ounce design; and
Three gold coins of a single design, in weights of ¼, ½ and 1 ounce (sold individually and in sets).

Coins of the same weight and metallic content may have different denominations across the collections (and even within collections, due to the Coinage Reform of 1992). The program spanned the years 1992 through to 1998; the only year during this time when none of the collection were issued was 1995.

In 1993, design changes were authorised on the Brilliant Uncirculated and Proof versions of three of the coins: the Brasero Efigie in the Aztec Collection, the Anciano con Brasero in the Central Veracruz Collection, and the Hombre Jaguar in the Olmec Collection. Previously the date and mintmark has been at the left and right, respectively, of the main image (Variety 1 MMR): the design change placed both the date and the mintmark side by side to the left of the main image (Variety 2 MML). In addition, a change was made to the Proof format for the series. The 1992 Aztec Collection Proofs has featured frosted devices on a mirrored field, surrounded by a border with raised, frosted devices and an incused, mirrored denomination. For Proofs from 1993 onward, the border area was mirrored like the field, with raised, frosted devices and a raised, frosted denomination. The 1-ounce silver Brasero Efigie Proofs, in the Aztec Collection, are the only coins that were made in both Proof formats.