Municipal coinage of Michoacán

As neither the federal or the state government produced fractional coins municipalities, haciendas and even private citizens were “allowed” to produce their own, though as these were repeatedly permitted and then prohibited, coins would be struck, then melted, and then struck again.

The latest study of municipal coinage is Ricardo Vargas Verduzco’ Enciclopédia Numismática de Michoacán: Vol 1. Moneda Municipal, illustrated with full colour images of the best example of each coin available, mainly from three main collections^{There have been four previous studies of these coins, Manuel Romero de Terreros’ Las Monedas de Necesidad del Estado de Michoacán in 1940, Mauricio Fernández Garza’s Las Monedas Municipales Mexicanas in 1979, Grove’s Coins of Mexico in 1989, and a re-issued Fernández in 2014, but whereas Romero de Terreros had 156 coins (including haciendas and particulares) with only 10% illustrated, this new catalogue,has 240 coins, all municipal and mostly illustrated in full colour. The cataloguing is based on the first three letters of the town, numbering in chronological order with letters for counterstamps and revalidation, eg. ZAM-7a}.

Acuitzio

Vargas identifies two different issues.

Angamacutiro

Vargas identifies two different issues.

Apatzingán

Vargas identifies two different issues.

Grove 71 1850 Apatzingán ⅛r 1850

Grove 71
Obverse: around a platform with a large vase of flowers TANTEO DE APATZINGAN counterstamped 2
Reverse: around a large monogram ME UN OCTAVO. AÑO  1850
20mm brass 

Grove 71 1850 Apatzingán ⅛r 1850 (Briggs & Bustos auction VIII, 26 April 2024, lot 333)

Complete legends, slightly buckled as a result of the counterstamp "2" to the right of the vase.

Ario

Vargas identifies 20 different issues.

Grove 87
Obverse:
Reverse:

Grove 88
Obverse:
Reverse:

Chavinda

Vargas identifies four different issues.

Chilchota

Vargas identifies six different issues.

Churintcio

Vargas identifies three different issues.

Coalcomán

Vargas identifies two different issues.

Cocupao

Vargas identifies six different issues.

Coeneo

Vargas identifies two different issues.

Cotija

Vargas identifies eight different issues.

Grove 289 Cotija

Obverse: around the Mexican eagle TANTEO DE COTIJA UN 1/8 1856
Reverse: within a wreath of laurel and oak a radient liberty cap. JOSE NUNES
21 mm. bronze

Oceguera ⅛r 1849 (Briggs & Bustos auction IX, 13 September 2024, lot 274)

Erongarícuaro

Vargas identifies a single issue.

Huacana

Vargas identifies three different issues.

Ixtlán

Vargas identifies three different issues.

Jiquilpan

Vargas identifies nine different issues.

Jungapeo

Vargas identifies a single issue.

Morelia

Vargas identifies five different issues.

Grove 598
Obverse:
Reverse:

Grove 599
Obverse:
Reverse:

Nahuatzen

Vargas identifies seven different issues.

Parácuaro

Vargas identifies three different issues.

Patambam

Vargas identifies a single issue.

Pátzcuaro

Vargas identifies six different issues.

Penjamillo

Vargas tentatively identifies ta single issue.

Piedad

Vargas identifies three different issues.

Grove 1823 Piedad

Obverse: PIEDAD 1871
Reverse: blank
26mm. brass

Grove also records a token with on the reverse, around the value '1' in a circle LA AURORA / L. C. & C. (Grove 1824) and another with two counterstamps on the reverse, one JOV (Grove 1825).

Purépero

Vargas identifies three different issues.

Reyes

Vargas identifies seven different issues.

Sahuayo

Vargas identifies a single issue.

Grove 1088 Sahuayo ⅛r 1856 (Briggs & Bustos auction VIII, 26 April 2024, lot 339)

Brass struck, 21.2 millimetres diameter. Obverse at center, on a plain a coyote in profile looking to the left, on this the legend "ZAHUAYO". On reverse the initials J.M.A. (José María Arregui) in quite stylized cursive letters, below them "AÑO DE 1856".

Santa Clara

Vargas identifies thirteen different issues.

Tacámbaro

Vargas identifies six different issues.

Tancítaro

Vargas identifies two different issues.

Tangancícuero

Vargas identifies seven different issues.

Tanhuato

Vargas identifies two different issues.

Taretan

Vargas identifies fifteen different issue.

Tecario

Vargas identifies a single issue.

Tinguindín

Vargas identifies eight different issues.

Tlazazalca

Vargas identifies two different issues.

Turicato

Vargas identifies a single issue.

Uruapan

Vargas identifies 20 different issues.

Valladolid

Vargas identifies a single issue.

Zacapu

Vargas identifies a single issue.

Zamora

Vargas identifies sixty different issues, including these.

KM-L81. Zamora. 1/8 Real Token, ND (1852-58).(Stack’s-Bowers Auction 28 February 2023, lot 71625)

"ZA" countermark and "1/8" countermark on a host that is virtually worn completely bare.

Grove 1091 Zamora ⅛r 1840 (Briggs & Bustos auction VIII, 26 April 2024, lot 344)

Obverse: slender eagle perched on an almost round cactus, all on two branches with 10 leaves to the left and 8 to the right
reverse with date slightly above the center and below the value 1/8, sponsor's name J.M. Garcia on top

Zitácuaro

Vargas identifies two different issues.