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Decimal issues of the San Luis Potosí mint

Copper

One centavo

These Seated Liberty centavos have the engraver’s name, Sanabria.

KM 390.1 reverseKM 390.1
KM-390.1 1c 1863 (Ponterio Baltimore auction, 16 November 2012, lot 11324) 

Diameter 26 mm. 8 g.

Date Recorded
Mintage		 Comment
1863 1,024,999 engraver SANABRIA

 

When minting of the Republic decimal coinage was resumed in 1869, the mint adopted a new design – the Standing Eagle style.

KM 391.8 1877KM 391.8 1877 reverse
KM-391.8 1c 1877 Pi (Stack’s Bowers Kirk Menczer Collection, 21 October 2025, lot 71054) 

Diameter 25 mm. 8 g.

Date Recorded
Mintage		 Comment
1871    
1877 249,000  
1878 751,000  
1891   Pi/Mo (illustrated below)
1891    

 

KM 391.8 reverseKM 391.8
KM-391.8 1c 1891 Pi/Mo (Ponterio Baltimore auction, 16 November 2012, lot 11367)

Very scarce over mint mark

Silver

Five centavos 

The decimal coinage’s first 5-centavo denominations were part of the limited decimal coinage struck in 1863, prior to the installation of Maximilian and the advent of the Imperial coinage. These few 5 centavos were struck only at the San Luis Potosí mint. The obverse design resembled that of the real, with the Mexican eagle; but on the reverse the design was changed to the date and denomination within a wreath.

KM 396.1 1863KM 396.1 1863
KM-396.1 5c 1863 (Stack’s Bowers Kirk Menczer Collection, 21 October 2025, lot 71153)

Diameter 15 mm. 1.353 g. 0.9027 silver 

Date Recorded
Mintage		 Comment
1863    

 

After the fall of Maximilian the San Luis Mint restored the full design with Mexican Eagle obverse and Liberty Cap reverse. 

KM 397.1 1868KM 397.1 1868 reverse
KM-397.1 5c 1868 P (Stack’s Bowers Kirk Menczer Collection, 21 October 2025, lot 71184)

Date Recorded
Mintage		 Comment
1868    
1869/7 34,000  
1869/8   illustrated below
1869 14,000  

 

KM 397.1 1869 8KM 397.1 1869 8 reverse
KM-397.1 5c 1869/8 P (Stack’s Bowers Kirk Menczer Collection, 21 October 2025, lot 71185)

In 1869 the Republic decimal coinage – with the wreath reverse – was resumed.

KM 398.9 1869 reverseKM 398.9 1869
KM-398.9 5c 1869 Pi S (Stack’s Bowers Kirk Menczer Collection, 21 October 2025, lot 71186)

Date Asssayer Recorded
Mintage		 Comment
1869 S     
1870 G 20,000 Pi/Mo (illustrated below)
1870 O  
1871 O 5,400  
1872 O    
1873   5,000  
1874 H    
1875 H    
1876 H    
1877 H    
1878 H    
1880 H 6,200  
1881 H 4,500  
1886 R 33,000  
1887/0 R 169,000  
1887 R  
1888 R 210,000  
1889/7 R 197,000  
1889 R  
1890 R 221,000  
1891/89 R/B 176,000  
1891 R  
1892/89 R 182,000  
1892/0 R  
1892 R  
1893 R 41,000  

 

KM 398.9 1870 Pi O reverseKM 398.9 1870 Pi O
KM-398.9 5c 1870 Pi O (Stack’s Bowers Kirk Menczer Collection, 21 October 2025, lot 71188)

KM 398.9 1870 reverseKM 398.9 1870
KM-398.9 5c 1870 Pi/Mo G (Stack’s Bowers Kirk Menczer Collection, 21 October 2025, lot 71187)

KM 398.9 1870 Pi OMo C reverseKM 398.9 1870 Pi OMo C
KM-398.9 5c 1870 Pi O/Mo C (Stack’s Bowers auction, 23 October 2019, lot 72606)

Over mintmark and assayer, with assayer "O" at San Luis Potosi over assayer "C" from Mexico City.

KM 398.9 1870 Pi G Mo CKM 398.9 1870 Pi G Mo C reverse
KM-398.9 5c 1870 Pi G/Mo C (Ponterio Baltimore auction, 6 November 2013, lot 21162)

Ten centavos 

The decimal coinage’s first 10-centavo denominations were part of the limited decimal coinage struck in 1863, prior to the installation of Maximilian and the advent of the Imperial coinage. These 10-centavos were struck only at the San Luis Potosí mint. The obverse design resembled that of the real, with the Mexican eagle; but on the reverse the design was changed to the date and denomination within a wreath.

KM 401.2 1863KM 401.2 1863
KM-401.2 10c 1863 (Stack’s Bowers Kirk Menczer Collection, 21 October 2025, lot 71405)  

Diameter 18 mm. 2.707 g 0.9027 silver

Date Recorded
Mintage		 Comment
1863    

 

After the fall of Meximilian the reverse design briefly reverted back to the real-style Liberty Cap.

KM 402.1 1868KM 402.1 1868 reverse
KM-402.1 10c 1868 P (Stack’s Bowers auction, 15 August 2016, lot 22738)

But Stack's Bowers adds "What makes this coin of note is that while it is not noted on the slab tag it does seem to be the overdate variety with the 8 placed over a 7. The surfaces bear a medium to deep gray tone with some gunmetal blue hues which does somewhat obfuscate the underlying 7".

Diameter 18 mm. 2.707 g. 0.9027 silver 

Date Asssayer Recorded
Mintage		 Comment
1868/7 P 38,000 illustrated below
1868 P  
1869/7 P 4,900 illustrated below

 

KM 402.1 1868 7KM 402.1 1868 7 reverse
KM-402.1 10c 1868/7 P (Ponterio Baltimore auction, 28 March 2011, lot 8912)

KM 402.1 1869 7KM 402.1 1869 7 reverse
KM-402.1 10c 1869/7 P (Stack’s Bowers Kirk Menczer Collection, 21 October 2025, lot 71406) 

In 1869 the new Standing Eagle design was adopted with a restyled mexican eagle on the obverse and the denomination within a wreath of laurel on the reverse.

KM 403.9 1871KM 403.9 1871
KM-403.9 10c 1871 Pi O (Stack’s Bowers Kirk Menczer Collection, 21 October 2025, lot 71408)

Diameter 17 mm. 2.707 g. 0.9027 silver 

Date Asssayer Recorded
Mintage		 Comment
1869/8 S  4,000  
1870/69 O 18,000  
1870 G  
1871 O 21,000  
1872 O 16,000  
1873 O  4,750  
1874 H    
1875 H    
1876 H    
1877 H    
1878 H    
1879 H    
1880 H    
1881 H 7,600  
1882 H 4,000  
1883 H    
1884 H    
1885 H 51,000  
1885 C  
1886 C 52,000  
1886 R  
1887 R 118,000  
1888 R 136,000  
1889 R 131,000  
1889/7 R illustrated below
1890 R 204,000  
1891/89 R 163,000 illustrated below
1891 R  
1892 R 200,000  
1892/0 R  
1893 R 48,000  

 
KM 403.9 1889 7 reverseKM 403.9 1889 7
KM-403.9 10c 1889/7 Pi R/G (Stack’s Bowers Kirk Menczer Collection, 21 October 2025, lot 71428)

KM 403.9 1891 89 reverseKM 403.9 1891 89
KM-403.9 10c 1891/89 Pi R (Stack’s Bowers Kirk Menczer Collection, 21 October 2025, lot 71430)

KM 403.9 1892 R GKM 403.9 1892 R G reverse
KM-403.9 10c 1892 Pi R/G (Stack’s Bowers auction, 22 October 2020, lot 72285)

Twenty-five centavos

KM 406.8 1869KM 406.8 1869 reverse
KM-406.8 25c 1869 Pi S (Stack’s Bowers Kirk Menczer Collection, 22 October 2025, lot 72158)

Diameter 25 mm. 6.768 g. 0.9027 silver  

Date Asssayer Recorded
Mintage		 Comment
1869 S    
1870 G 50,000  
1870 O  
1871 O 30,000  
1872 O 46,000  
1873 O 13,000  
1874 H    
1875 H    
1876/5 H    
1876 H    
1877 H 19,000  
1878 H    
1879 H    
1879 E    
1880 H    
1881 H 50,000  
1881 E  
1882 H 20,000  
1883 H 17,000  
1884 H    
1885 H 43,000  
1886 C 78,000  
1886 R 6 / inverted 6
1887 R 92,000 Pi/Zs
1887 B Pi/Zs
1888 R 106,000  
1888 R Pi/Zs 
1888 R/B illustrated below
1889 R 115,000  
1889 R Pi/Zs 
1889 R/B  
1890 R 54,000  
1890 R/B Pi/Zs 
1890 R/B illustrated below

  

KM 406.8 1888 R BKM 406.8 1888 R B. reverse
KM-406.8 25c 1888 Pi R/B (Stack’s Bowers Kirk Menczer Collection, 22 October 2025, lot 72174)

KM 406.8 1890 R BKM 406.8 1890 R B reverse
KM-406.8 25c 1890 Pi R/B (Stack’s Bowers Kirk Menczer Collection, 22 October 2025, lot 72176)

Fifty centavos

KM 407.7 1870KM 407.7 1870 reverse
KM-407.7 50c 1871 Pi G (Stack’s Bowers Kirk Menczer Collection, 22 October 2025, lot 72286)

Diameter 30 mm.13.536 g. 0.9027 silver  

Date Asssayer Recorded
Mintage		 Comment
1870 G 50,000  
1870/78 O/G  
1870 O  
1871 O/G 64,000  
1872 D/G 52,000  
1872 O  
1873 H 32,000  
1873 O  
1874 H/O    
1875 H    
1876 H    
1877 H 34,000  
1878 H 9,700  
1879/7 H    
1879 H    
1880 H    
1881 H 28,000  
1882 H 22,000  
1883 H 29,000  
1884 H    
1885/3 H 45,000  
1885/0 H  
1885/4 H  
1885 H  
1885 C  
1886/1 R 92,000 illustrated below
1886 C  
1886 R  
1887 R 32,000  

 

KM 407.7 1886 1KM 407.7 1886 1 reverse
KM-407.7 50c 1886/1 Pi R (Stack’s Bowers auction, 3 June 2022, lot 72094)

One peso  

KM 408.7 1870 SKM 408.7 1870 S reverse
KM-408.7 $1 1870 Pi S (Ponterio Baltimore auction, 16 November 2012, lot 11290)

Diameter 37 mm.27.073o g. 0.9027 silver 

The balance scale peso was struck from 1869 to 1873. It was not a success in the export market, the destination for most of Mexico's silver, so the type was discontinued in 1873 in favour of the resumption of the "cap and ray" eight reales.

Date Asssayer Recorded
Mintage		 Comment
1870 S 1,967,000  
1870 S/A  
1870 G illustrated below
1870 H circulating counterfeit
1870 O/G  
1870 O  
1871/69 O 2,103,000  
1871 O  
1871 O/G  
1872 O 1,873,000  
1873 O 893,000  
1873 H  

 

KM 408.7 1870 GKM 408.7 1870 G reverse
KM-408.7 $1 1870 Pi G (Stack’s Bowers auction, 16 January 2018, lot 24433)

Gold

No regular-issue decimal gold coins were struck at San Luis Potosi, but there were several trial and presentation versions of gold decimal issues.