Sinaloa
by Don Bailey from Don Bailey, State and Federal Copper And Brass Coinage Of Mexico (1824 – 1872), Don Bailey Institute for Mexican Numismatic & Historical research, 2008
The state of Sinaloa issued only one series known as the "Liberty Head", which has on the obverse a small head of liberty within a laurel wreath. The legend around "ESTADO LIBRE Y SOBERANO DE SINALOA". The reverse has within branches of laurel and oak, the denomination "1/4 DE REAL", the date with reeded edges. These were issued in 1847, 1848, 1859, and 1861 through 1866.
The legislation for division of Occidente was passed in January 1830. The approval of the decree of division creating the states of Sinaloa and Sonora was issued on 13 October 1830. Under the National Government supreme decree of 1847 by the Departmental Council, state electors were allowed to choose a legislature and governor.
The first issue of Sinaloa cuartillas was ordered on 2 March of the same year (30,000 pesos or 960,000 cuartillas)Pradeau, op. cit..
KM 363 ¼r 1847 Sinaloa small wreath
KM 363 ¼r 1861 Sinaloa large wreath
KM 363 ¼r 1859 Sinaloa no fractional bar
The 1861 cuartillas were also produced at the Hermosillo mint.
A common error of the 1862 cuartilla is the result of a slightly filled or irregular die resulting in BEAL rather than REAL.
Some of the 1864 issue was possibly struck in San Francisco and smuggled into Mexico at the instigation of Fortunato de la Vega, the lessee of the Culiacan mint. The national government became aware of this and threatened prosecution of those involved.
Additional coins dated 1859 were restruck in 1872 with the authority of the governor, Eustaquio Buelna[text needed]. Likewise, he had more 1859 dated copper struck in the Alamos mint, all without the approval of the state legislature or federal authorities. The 1859 dated cuartillas are found with and without dots after the date; the significance of this is not yet known.
| KM 363 | ESTADO LIBRE Y SOBERANO DE SINALOA | 1847 | 27mm | small wreath |
| 1848 | small wreath | |||
| 1848 | large date, small wreath | |||
| KM 363b | 1859 | dot after date | ||
| 1859 | no dot after date | |||
| 1859 | missing fractional bar | |||
| 1861/9There has been some debate over the 1861 over 9 which some say is an 1861/0. We can say with certainty that the first one in the date has been repunched and the 6 lacks any trace of over striking. The small dot under the final digit is not consistent with most 1859 coins. | dot at date | |||
| 1861 | ||||
| 1862 | ||||
| KM 363c | 1862 | BEAL | ||
| KM 363b | 1863 | dot at date | ||
| 1864/3 | ||||
| 1864 | 8/8. Dot at date | |||
| 1864/4 | no dot at date | |||
| 1865 | dot at date | |||
| 1866/5Concerning the 1866/5 overdate there are several varieties of repunching but to date no examples have been found that are verifiably 1866/5 | ||||
| 1866 |
1861 pattern
KM Pn82 Sinaloa Pattern ¼r 1861 (Stack’s Bowers Baltimore auction, 16 November 2012, lot 11283)
A pattem cuartilla was produced in 1861 with a larger Liberty head. It has the standard legends plus the initials QD under the bust for Quintín Douglas, an American who was a mint employee at this time.
Amortization
On 30 December 1870 Sinaloa decreed[text needed] copper coin to be amortized, which was to be financed by various new taxes.