Silver Minted in Mexico

Silver Bullion Minted in Mexico

For hundreds, if not thousands of years now, Mexico has been one of the world’s most well-known producers and exporters of silver. The silver-rich nation introduced so many products to explorers and settlers, and even today Mexican silver is valuable on the global market. If you travel to Mexico, you will be able to find artisan shops where craftsman are able to turn the luxurious metal into just about anything the mind can imagine.

When we think of Mexican silver, however, we often tend to immediately turn our attention to silver bars, coins and rounds. The reality, however, is that Mexico is known for much more than the production of silver coins and does have a long, rich history involving the metal.

A History of Silver in Mexico

Out of all the products Mexico exports to the world, few are more well-known than silver. The country’s vast array of mines not only extract a hefty amount of the metal, but the metal that is extracted is of the highest quality. Though production of silver in Mexico now is not as great as it once was, Mexico is still one of the world’s largest and most well-known producers of the metal.

When Spanish Conquistadors arrived in Mexico in the 15th and 16th centuries, they came looking for tin, but what they found was an abundance of silver. In 1521, just barely after Conquistador Hernan Cortes conquered wide expanses of Mexico, the first mining operation was begun. The mine was located in Taxco and became the first silver mine located on the North American continent. Within 60 years, silver minted at Taxco had spread across Europe and was even found in parts of East Asia. Word spread quickly that Taxco was one of the most silver-rich parts of the world.

Realizing that Taxco couldn’t possibly be the only part of Mexico that was rich in silver, the Spanish set forth and eventually established mines in no less than 7 different regions. Before long, Spain was acquiring almost all of its silver directly from Mexico, an endeavor that proved to be quite profitable. Zacatecas, one of the mines that was established after Taxco, was found to be a particularly abundant mine and this caused a boom that saw many, many people descend upon the city. Thanks to the silver boom, Zacatecas became Mexico’s 3rd largest city. When the 1600s finally rolled around, the mines of Zacatecas were producing more than one-third of all of Mexico’s silver and were responsible for 20 percent of all silver mined in the world at the time. As exploration of Central and South America continued, it quickly became known that Mexico was not the only silver-rich country, and that nations like Peru and Bolivia also had plenty of the metal to supply. This part of the world remains today one of the main points of extract for silver that will inevitably reach all corners of the globe.

The Mexican Libertad

Of all silver that comes from Mexico, very little of it is more popular than the Libertad coin. The Libertad was first produced in 1982 making it one of the first widely produced silver coins on the market. Being that Mexico is such a silver-rich nation, it should come as no surprise that the annual mintages of these coins extends well into the millions.

The coin’s design has changed over the years, but the theme has remained more or less constant. On one side of the coin you will see the personification of Mexican independence, while on the other side you will always find a representation of the Mexican coat of arms. More recent versions of the coin have such stunning detail that it is difficult to comprehend how that much imagery can be depicted on the face of a coin.

What is unique about the Libertad is the fact that it is available in a number of different sizes/ weights. While coins from other countries may only be available in the one ounce variety, Mexican Silver Libertads are available in 7 different sizes ranging from as small as 1/20th ounce to as large as 5 ounces. For investors, the fact that there is a wide variety of coin sizes available is great because you are not restricted to just one or two selections.

Where to Buy Mexican Silver Products

Just because silver products from Mexico are from Mexico does not mean that you need to travel south of the border just to acquire them. Buying Mexican silver can be done in one of two ways.

Traditionally, the best way for one to purchase silver is to locate their nearest coin dealer or pawn shop. Being the Mexican Libertads are such a popular product, most coin shops will have plenty in stock. Unfortunately, going to a coin shop in order to acquire Mexican silver is not always the best option. If you live outside of a major metropolitan area, the likelihood of you having more than one coin shop in your area is not very high.

More recently, the best way to purchase Mexican silver is to do so via online establishments that specialize in selling precious metals online. There are hundreds of dealers that exist online, and with some effort you are able to compare the prices of a similar product across multiple sites. If you are looking to purchase a Mexican Libertad, for example, you are able to utilize the internet in order to find the absolute best price. Furthermore, buying online is preferred due to the fact that you can execute a purchase without ever having to leave your home. By completing a few keystrokes and waiting a few days, your Mexican silver will arrive at your door. When it comes down to it, you can invest in Mexican silver without ever having to step foot outside of your home.

Though Mexican silver is not as popular as it once was, investors and collectors from all over the world scramble to get their hands on Mexican products because of their historical significance and high quality.