Gold Half Ounce Libertad, Coin Type from Mexico - detailed information

Gold Half Ounce Libertad, Coin Type from Mexico (issued 1981 - )
Coin TypeGold Half Ounce Libertad

La Casa de Moneda de México (the Mexican Mint) was established in 1535 and is the oldest mint in the Americas. Apart from manufacturing all the circulation coinage for Mexico, the mint also strikes coins in the internationally popular half ounce of gold format. The best known of these is the Libertad series of bullion coins, which has been issued in a number of sizes in gold since 1981 and in silver since 1982.

The Libertad gold half ounce (1/2 onza in Spanish) was one of the first formats introduced in 1981. The obverse of the coin depicts the Coat of Arms of Mexico: a Mexican golden eagle perched on a prickly pear cactus, devouring a rattlesnake. The reverse design is based on the 1921 gold Centenario, a coin issued to mark the centennial of Mexican independence (Libertad means Liberty in Spanish); it depicts the winged Nike (Victory, or Victoria in Spanish) - the statue which tops The Angel of Independence monument in Mexico City (built in 1910); in the background the volcanoes Popocatépetl and Iztaccihuatl are seen.

The design was changed from the "Type 1" Libertad (called just "Libertad" by the Bank of Mexico) to "Type 2" Libertad ("New Libertad") in 2000; the difference is that Victoria is seen on the later coins from an angle and not from the front as before. After 1981, the purity of the gold was changed from 90% to 99.9%, but the actual gold content remained exactly one troy ounce (the earlier coins were heavier overall).

Libertad coins do not have a fixed face value; they are accepted as currency and guaranteed by Banco de México based on the market value of their precious metal content (similarly to the South African Krugerrand).

Obverse
Mexico / Gold Half Ounce Libertad - obverse photo

The obverse of the coin shows at its centre the Coat of Arms of Mexico, which depicts a Mexican (golden) eagle perched on a prickly pear cactus, facing left, devouring a rattlesnake. The cactus is on a pedestal immersed in the Aztec symbol for water. Below, a wreath of oak and laurel leaves tied at its centre with a ribbon representing the flag of Mexico.

The design is rooted in the legend that the Aztec people would know where to build their city once they saw an eagle eating a snake on top of a lake. To the people of Tenochtitlan (the pre-European capital), this symbol had strong religious connotations, and to the Europeans it came to symbolise the triumph of good over evil (with the snake sometimes representative of the serpent in the Garden of Eden).

Around above, the legend ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS, meaning United Mexican States in Spanish - which is the full official name of Mexico.

The border is toothed, with staggered sizes of the teeth.
Obverse Inscription ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Reverse
Mexico / Gold Half Ounce Libertad - reverse photo

The reverse of the coin shows at its centre the statue of Nike (the Greek goddess of Victory, in Spanish: Victoria) from the Angel of Independence monument in Mexico City - commonly known simply as The Angel. She is represented as a young bare-breasted winged woman holding a laurel wreath in her outstretched right hand, and a broken chain (a symbol of freedom) in her left hand. Visible below the figure is the pedestal which tops the monument.

The volcanoes Popocatépetl and Iztaccihuatl can be seen in the background.

Around above, interrupted by the wings of the angel, the inscription 1/2 ONZA ORO PURO [year] LEY .999 (one half of a troy ounce of pure gold with purity 99.9%).

The Mo mint mark of the Mexican Mint (large letter M above which a small o) is in the upper right field.

The border is plain.
Reverse Inscription 1/2 ONZA ORO PURO [year] LEY .999
EdgeMilledEdge InscriptionNone
Coin Type: Gold Half Ounce Libertad - (27) Coins
Coin NameMintageSymbolLegend
Gold Half Ounce 1981 Libertad 193,000 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 1989 Libertad (Proof only) 704 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 1991 Libertad 10,000 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 1992 Libertad 24,343 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 1993 Libertad 2,500 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 1994 Libertad 2,500 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 2000 Libertad 1,500 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 2002 Libertad 5,000 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 2003 Libertad 300 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 2004 Libertad 500 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 2005 Libertad 900 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 2006 Libertad 1,020 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 2007 Libertad 1,000 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 2008 Libertad 800 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 2009 Libertad 3,600 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 2010 Libertad 2,100 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 2011 Libertad 2,600 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 2013 Libertad 800 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 2014 Libertad 1,250 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 2015 Libertad 1,600 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 2016 Libertad 3,300 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 2017 Libertad 1,400 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 2018 Libertad 3,250 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 2019 Libertad 2,650 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 2020 Libertad 1,200 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 2021 Libertad 1,450 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
Gold Half Ounce 2022 Libertad 2,500 Coat of Arms of Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS
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Gold Half Ounce Libertad: Details
CountryMexico
CurrencyMexican Peso (New)
Sub-type ofGold Half Ounce (1/2 oz)
From1981
Face Value(varies) (x Peso)
CurrentYes
Material0.999 Gold
Designer
TechnologyMilled (machine-made)
ShapeRound
OrientationCoin Alignment (Axis 6)
Size29.0000 mm
Thickness1.8000 mm
Mass15.5517 g
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Relevant Links
Libertad (coin) - Wikipedia