1820 Mexico 1 Real

The 1820 1 Real from Mexico was minted at the Mexico City mint under Spanish colonial authority, even as revolutionary fervor built toward independence in 1821.

That's right, it's not a post-independence coin as often misremembered; production continued from the old regime using familiar designs and silver from local mines.

Details on exact mintage figures? Gone, likely lost in the chaos of the era or later archival fires.

The obverse shows a crowned shield, while the reverse features the Spanish arms—standard for the time, no grand symbols of liberty yet.

After thirty years of examining these, I've heard enough stories about hidden revolutionary codes on them. They were just coins.