Mexico (1st Republic). Gold ½ Escudo Coin.
Mint Mark: Mexico (Mo)
Denomination: ½ Escudo
Reference: KM-378.5
Mint Year: 1825/1 (last digit re-engraved from 1!)
Diameter: 14mm
Weight: 1.68gm
Material: Gold!
Obverse: Hand holding phrygian cap on a stick and pointing to a book of law. Legend: * LA LIBERTAD EN LA LEY . / ½ E . oM . 1825/1 .J . M . 21 Q.
Reverse: Eagle with a snake in its beak, standing on a cactus plant, sea waves below. Legend: REPUBLICA MEXICANA (terminated by olive and oak branches)
The United Mexican States was established on 4 October 1824, after the overthrow of the Mexican Empire of Agustin de Iturbide. In the new constitution, the republic took the name of United Mexican States, and was defined as a representative federal republic, with Catholicism as the official and unique religion.
However, most of the population largely ignored it. When Guadalupe Victoria was followed in office by Vicente Guerrero, who won the electoral but lost the popular vote, the Conservative Party saw an opportunity to seize control and led a coup under Anastasio Bustamante, who served as president from 1830 to 1832, and again from 1837 to 1841.
This coup set the pattern for Mexican politics during the 19th Century. Many governments rose and fell during a period of instability caused by factors including 1) the control of the economic system by the large landowners, 2) the struggle over the status of Mexico’s northern territories, which issued in a devastating defeat at the end of the Mexican American War; and 3) the gulf in wealth and power between the Spanish-descended elite and the mixed-race majority.
The main political parties during this era were the Conservatives (favoring the Catholic Church, the landowners, and a monarchy) and the Liberals (favoring secular government, the landless majority, and a republic).
Also, while the form of Mexican government fluctuated considerably during these years, three men dominate 19th Century Mexican history: 1) Antonio López de Santa Anna (from independence until 1855); 2) Benito Juárez (during the 1850s and 1860s); and 3) Porfirio Diaz (during the final quarter of the century).