Mexico 1 peso 1943 M

The coin's story

This peso in 720 thousandths silver belongs to the series struck from 1920 to 1945 by the United Mexican States. Since the 1905 reform, which tied Mexico to the gold exchange standard after four centuries of silver currency, the Mexico City Mint had been the country's only mint, hence the letter M. The obverse bears the arms of Mexico: a golden eagle perched on a prickly pear cactus, devouring a serpent, between a holm oak branch and a laurel branch. The eagle's head and the serpent frame the indication of fineness, 0.720. The reverse shows the radiant cap of liberty, above the value and a wreath of foliage, with the word LIBERTAD (Liberty). The edge bears the motto INDEPENDENCIA Y LIBERTAD (Independence and liberty). The 1943 date was struck in 47,662,000 pieces.