San Luis Potosí

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}

There was to be an amortization in San Luis Potosi on 2 August 1851, when all copper coinage was ordered to cease circulation^{[text needed]}. The copper was to be received at government offices in unlimited quantities but for one day only. Copper not turned in was to be devalued. This proved unsuccessful.

Seated Indian

There were two types of coppers issued from San Luis Potosi, with the first being the "Seated Indian" issue. The obverse has a seated Indian woman holding a scepter with a liberty cap at its peak and an Aztec club, the legend above, "MEXICO LIBRE". The reverse has within a wreath an open law book and the denomination. The legend around on the ⅛ real is, "ESTADO DE SAN LUIS POTOSI", and the date. All the ¼ reales have the same legend, "ESTADO LIBRE DE SAN LUIS POTOSI".

The 1862 ¼ real has the legend on the obverse "REPUBLICA MEXICANA," and on the open law book the words "LIBERTAD EN LA LEY" were added. The ⅛ real was issued in 1829 through 1831, and 1859, while the ¼ Real was issued 1828 through 1830, 1832, 1859 and 1860 with the "MEXICO LIBRE" legend, and 1862 with the "REPUBLICA MEXICANA" legend.

⅛ real

KM-336 ⅛r 1859 SLP (Stack’s Bowers auction, 15 November 2022, lot 72714) 

¼ real

KM-359 ¼ real 1830 San Luis Potosí (Briggs & Bustos auction, 5 February 2023, lot 95) 

KM-359 ⅛ real 1832 San Luis Potosí Colonial edge

KM-360 ¼ real 1862 San Luis Potosí (Briggs & Bustos auction,4 November 2022, lot 144)

KM-360 ¼ real 1862 San Luis Potosí small date

KM 360 ¼ real 1862 San Luis Potosí LIBR

KM 360 ¼ real 1862 San Luis Potosí large date

“Cap in Wreath”

The second type is the "Cap in Wreath" issue of 1867. This was issued even though there was a one-centavo issued in 1863, and the decimal system had already been attempted. The obverse of this coin has the national eagle with the legend above, "LIBERTAD Y REFORMA". The reverse has the liberty cap and denomination "¼" within a wreath with the legend, "ESTADO LIBRE Y SOBERANO DE S. L. POTOSI", and the date 1867. It has also been struck over an 1863 centavo. There are two varieties of this coin. One has the initials "AFG" for Antonio Flores, the engraver (“Antonio Flores Grabador”), below the date, and the others have no initials.

KM-362 ¼r 1867 San Luis Potosí (Heritage auction, 11 September 2018, lot 34716)

KM-361 ¼r 1867 AFG (Stack’s Bowers auction, Oct 30, 2024, lot 73340)

Mintages

Pradeau^{Alberto F. Pradeau, Historia Numismática de México, Tomo III} gives the following mintages for ⅛ and ¼ coins: