1845 1/2 Real Mexico

This 1845 half real from Mexico was struck using copper planchets that likely came from melted-down Spanish coins, a practical reuse during the republic's early financial scrambles.

That approach wasn't unusual back then, as Mexican mints often recycled metal to keep production going amid economic turbulence. The coin itself is small, about the size of a modern button, with a simple design: an eagle perched on a cactus, clutching a serpent, on one side and the denomination on the other.

We don't know the exact mintage figures; records from that era are spotty, thanks to wars and administrative chaos. What I can say is that these pieces circulated widely in daily transactions, from market stalls to rural trades.

Handling one after all these years, you notice the wear patterns—edges smoothed by pockets and palms. It reminds me how coins like this were just tools, not treasures.