Obverse. Photo © NumisCorner.com
  • 5 Pesos 1985-1988, KM# 502, Mexico
  • 5 Pesos 1985-1988, KM# 502, Mexico
Description

According to Banco de México and Diario oficial de la Federación (Federation's Official Log), 1987 date for this coin presented several inconsistencies, such as defective alloy which caused the coin's design to change when struck. This was detected at Mint, and most of the near 82 million coins were rejected and destroyed before leaving the Mint house. Only the final batches with the corrected alloy reached public. An estimate is that only 1% of 1987 5$ coins ever circulated. This is still a large -near a million- coins that reached circulation.

Obverse

Depicts the seal of the United Mexican States.

The Seal of the United Mexican States is a modified version of the national coat of arms, with the addition of the full official name of the country Estados Unidos Mexicanos, in a semi-circular accommodation in the upper part of the seal. Current and past Mexican peso coinage have had the seal engraved on the obverse of all denominations.

The coat of arms depicts a Mexican golden eagle perched on a prickly pear cactus devouring a rattlesnake. To the people of Tenochtitlan this would have strong religious connotations, but to the Europeans, it would come to symbolize the triumph of good over evil (with the snake sometimes representative of the serpent in the Garden of Eden).

ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS

Reverse

Monogram-called design, with a big face value and other details at left, date and mint mark.

1985
$5
Mo

Edge

5 Pesos

KM# 502 Schön# 82
Characteristics
Material Brass
Weight 3 g
Diameter 17 mm
Thickness 1.5 mm
Shape round
Alignment Coin
Mint
Mexican Mint (Mo)

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