Gold Libertads (Proof)

Buying Proof Mexican Gold Libertad Coins

The Gold Libertad coins from the Mexican Mint arrived in 1981 as a direct successor to the Centenario gold coin. The latter coin was issued by the mint in 1921 to mark the 100^th anniversary of national independence in Mexico. Those coins featured Winged Victory on the obverse and the coat of arms for Mexico on the reverse. Those coins had a 50 Peso face value and were only issued for a decade originally.

Although the Centenario returned to production in 1943, with all coins struck from 1949 to 1972 bearing a singular date mark of “1947.” Today though, the images of the Centenario serve as the inspiration for the Libertad Series. The official bullion coins of Mexico, the Gold Libertad series originated in 1981 with a bullion issue and by 2005, there was a regular issue of the Proof Mexican Gold Libertad Coins as well.

Debut of the Proof Mexican Gold Libertad Coins

Like many other options in the Mexican Libertad collection, the Proof Mexican Gold Libertad Coin has an on-again, off-again history. Following the 1981 issue of the Gold Libertad as an investment-grade bullion coin, the Mexican Mint issued its first-ever Proof Gold Libertads. The first issue year included only a 1 oz gold coin in 1983. The next issue of a Proof Gold Libertad came in 1989 when there was only a ½ oz gold coin struck. In 2004, another option was introduced with a ¼ oz gold coin struck as the singular option.

Starting in 2005 though, the Mexican Mint put the Proof Mexican Gold Libertad into production for regular release. The debut of the Proof Gold Libertads for regular issue in 2005 introduced two new weights not previously available. The 2005 Proof Mexican Gold Libertad coins included a 1/10 oz and 1/20 oz option to go along with the previously offered ¼ oz, ½ oz, and 1 oz gold coins for sale. The Proof Gold Libertad has been available in every year since 2005 across all five weights, with the lone exception of 2012 when no proof coins were struck.

Mintage Background of the Proof Mexican Gold Libertad

While the Mexican Gold Libertad coins are known for their low mintage figures in both bullion and proof, the Proof Gold Libertad has some of the lowest mintage figures you’ll find among annual-release coin programs. The highest mintage figure ever recorded for a singular coin in this series was the 2005 ¼ oz Proof Gold Libertad which had just 2,600 coins struck. Only two years have featured mintage figures in each weight that exceeded 1,000 coins. The 2011 coins had a mintage of 1,100 each across the 1/20, 1/10, ½, and 1 oz coins. The ¼ oz was an exception with a total of 2,000 struck that year.

More recently, the 2016 Proof Mexican Gold Libertad coin had the highest combined mintage in the collection’s brief history. Exactly 2,100 coins were struck in each of the five weights for a total mintage in the series of 10,500 coins. The lowest mintage year came in 2014 when the total series of five coins didn’t even crack 3,500 coins. 2014 Proof Gold Libertads had a mintage of 250 coins each for the 1/20, 1/10, ½ oz, and 1 oz coins. The ¼ oz coin was nominally higher at just 350 coins.

Design Features of the Proof Mexican Gold Libertad Coins

The Proof Gold Libertad coins have the same design elements on the obverse and reverse featured on all coins in the Libertad series, both silver and gold. There are, however, some differences you’ll notice across the larger Proof Mexican Gold Libertad Series. For example, the Mexican Gold Libertad BU coins were issued at intervals during the 1980s and 1990s, and these coins featured the original Winged Victory design from the Centenario.

In 2000, the Mexican Mint modernized its depiction of Winged Victory. This is the current design of Winged Victory that reflects her image as she stands atop the Mexican Independence Victory Column erected in Mexico City in 1921. While bullion coins were struck with both depictions of Winged Victory, the Proof Gold Libertads feature only the modern version of Winged Victory with the “OM” mint mark, weight, purity, and metal content of the coin with the twin mountain peaks in the background.

The reverse side of the Proof Mexican Gold Libertad coins also use the coat of arms design for the nation of Mexico. The 1 oz gold coins have the full coat of arms with 10 historic versions as found on the bullion coins, while the four fractional weights use only the modern coat of arms.

As proof coins, these Gold Libertads have greater visual brilliance than the bullion versions of the coin. Proof Mexican Gold Libertad coins have frosted, matte finishes on the design elements and a deeply-mirrored, clear background field.

Get Your Proof Mexican Gold Libertads

JM Bullion carries the Proof Mexican Gold Libertad coin. If you have any questions about these coins and available options, please contact our customer service team at 800-276-6508, online through our live chat, and via our email address.