50 Centavo    (sold for $22.0)

1866, Mexico (Empire), Maximilian I. Silver 50 Centavos (½ Peso) Coin. aVF-

Mint year: 1866 Reference: KM-387. Mintage: 31,000 pcs. Mint Place: Mexico City Denomination: 50 Centavos (½ Peso) State: Mexico (Empire of Maximilian) Condition: Welding scar in reverse (the coin was once used as a button or jewellery), cleaned/tooled, edge hits, otherwise about VF. Weight: 13.40gm Diameter: 30mm Material: Silver

Obverse: Bare head of bearded Maximilian right. Legend: MAXIMILIANO EMPERADOR

Reverse: Crowned oval shield displaying Mexican eagle supported on either side by griffin, sword and scepter en saltire. Legend: IMPERIO MEXICANO 50 CENT. 1866 Mo

For your consideration a scarce silver 50 Centavos (½ Peso) coin, of the short lived Mexican Empire of Maximilian I (brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I. of Austria). This small denomination was not very popular during its time of circulation and was struck in very small number of only 31,000 pieces, a fraction of the mintage of the silver peso which was struck over 2 million times. A beautiful and popular mexican coin!

Maximilian I of Mexico (6 July 1832 - 19 June 1867; born Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph of Austria) was a member of the Imperial House of Habsburg-Lorraine. After a distinguished career in the Austrian Navy he was proclaimed Emperor of Mexico, during the Second Mexican Empire, with the backing of Napoleon III of France and a group of Mexican monarchists on 10 April 1864. Many foreign governments refused to recognize his government, including the United States. This helped to ensure the success of Republican forces led by Benito Juárez, and Maximilian was executed, after capture by Republicans, in 1867. In Mexico, he and his consort are known as Maximiliano and Carlota.