Municipal coinage of Zamora, Michoacán

By Claudio Verrey

During the Colonial period, coinage began to form part of the historical contribution of the Municipality of Zamora At first, coins were issued by private individuals; as local trade increased and, per haps because of excessive private issues, it was necessary for the Municipal Government to issue coins with an official guarantee in order to insure their general acceptance.

The· mint established in the Municipality probably had adequate installations and machinery and, consequently, they could manufacture their own coin blanks because they did not use federal coins or those of·other Municipalities. Due to this, they also engraved a variety of dies of which some are of high quality. More evidence of their excellent system of elaboration is that coins were normally milled; nevertheless, there was an exception in 1858 where we find crude and imperfect designs. Perhaps, this is due to the fact that they continued using the same dies in subsequent years or they were counterfeits of the period.

Regarding varieties, a study shows some information about them. On first observing these coins, we are able to determine that pure copper and copper alloys were used. Coins bearing the same date and struck from the same dies exist in different metals.

An important aspect of these coins is the countermarks which were placed on them subsequent to their original mintage; they can be classified into two types: Official and Private. Official counterstamps were ordered by the authorities for legal circulation in the Municipality. Private counterstamps identify a person, a business or hacienda and were exclusive in usage.

Counterstamps known as official are: the name of the Municipality of Zamora and one bearing the value 1/8. They were used for the following reasons: (1) to guarantee the validity of the pieces and to differentiate them from counterfeits: (2) for identification and new use when a coin was worn and illegible. On making a comparative study, we find four varieties of the Zamora counterstamp

Die variety legend 1/8 at right. (image courtesy Claudio Verrey)

and two of 1/8

Outer surface edge des ign has semi-circles and dots. (image courtesy Claudio Verrey)

No outer surface edge design. Leaves in the center. (image courtesy Claudio Verrey)

Comparing them with the dates, we can see what dates have been counterstamped, but there are some dates which I have not seen with a counterstamp.

In regard to private counterstamps, these could have been made by urban businesses that, because of a lack of coinage, counterstamped their own Municipal coins or those of other municipalities and, because of their lack of validity, used them as coin blanks.

Oval counterstamp of letter M.D.A., decoration and outer surface edge design of lines. (image courtesy Claudio Verrey)

I found some very well struck maln varieties bearing two initials:’ F.S’ or ‘A.L’ which perhaps stand for the name of the engraver or some public official.
The following is a list of the pieces found with their different dates and varieties:   

Counterstamp of the most common 'type of which the outer surface edge design is comprised of 45 lines.
(image courtesy Claudio Verrey)

Large letters, outer surface edge design has 30 lines. (image courtesy Claudio Verrey)

Counterstamp is a little smaller. Lines are thicker. (image courtesy Claudio Verrey)

Inverted counterstamp error. (image courtesy Claudio Verrey)

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Private countermark of letters S. A in a circle. Outer edge surface design of lines.

Die variety legend 1/8 (at right). (image courtesy Claudio Verrey)

Remarkable die varieties of the obverse (at left), a cap over the arch (right), an eagle (image courtesy Claudio Verrey)

Reverse, eagle on cactus (left), eagle on quiver holding a flag (right) . (image courtesy Claudio Verrey)