Guanajuato 8 Escudos
Mexico
1825–1890
Reference data compiled from public catalogs
Estimated Melt Value
$1,885.62
Based on Gold spot price ($4,827.1/oz) · 90.0% purity · 13.5g
Updated 4:26 AM
Collector premium not included
Specifications
| Country | Mexico |
| Years Minted | 1825–1890 |
| Composition | 0.900 gold |
| Weight | 13.5 g |
| Diameter | 32 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Design
Obverse
The obverse features the Mexican coat of arms, depicting an eagle perched on a cactus devouring a snake.
Reverse
The reverse shows the denomination '8 ESCUDOS' along with the date and mint mark.
History & Notable Facts
The Guanajuato 8 Escudos was minted from gold extracted from the region's prolific mines, which fueled Mexico's economy in the early 19th century.
That gold often came from veins deep in the Guanajuato hills, processed in a mint that operated amid political upheaval. Assays from surviving specimens show purity levels around 21 to 22 karats, depending on the year. Mintage figures vary; some years saw thousands produced, others fewer, though exact numbers for many dates remain unrecorded.
The obverse typically featured the Mexican coat of arms with an eagle devouring a serpent, a design shift from Spanish predecessors. Reverse designs included the denomination and mint mark. Variations exist due to die wear or errors, like off-center strikes.
Planchets were sometimes repurposed from older coins, a practical choice in resource-scarce times. As for myths, let's not pretend every one was buried in a pirate's chest. That's just lazy romance.
Experts note the 1825 issue as particularly scarce, but details on later years blur in the archives.
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