50 Pesos "Centenario" Gold Coin

In 1921, the Mexico City Mint struck a particularly large gold coin. It was the 50 Pesos gold coin commemorating one hundred years of independence—the Centenario. An imposing coin containing 37.5 grams of pure gold, it was issued under the Obregón administration. Its obverse features the goddess of Victory standing with her wings spread wide. Mintage continued from 1921 to 1931. This was a time when the memory of the revolution's worthless paper money—the *bilimbiques*—was still fresh. The fact that the first currency a country showed to the world, immediately after faith in paper money had died, was an undeniable lump of pure gold offers a glimpse into the crux of this nation's monetary history.