may be found at the shops of the silversmiths, or platerías, at the present day.
The escutcheon of Mexico, i. e. , a royal eagle, with expanded wings, standing on a cactus, holding a serpent in its beak, is stamped on one side of all the silver coins, and a liberty-cap and rising sun are found on the reverse. During the French invasion the bust of Maximilian was substituted for the cap of liberty.
Mexico has followed the example of Spain in adopting the decimal system of coinage, of which the real is the basis.
The current coins are as follows:
SILVER.
One peso,[1] or dollar, containing 8 reales, or 100 cents.
Four reales, or one toston, 50 cents.
Two reales, or one peseta, 25 cents.
One real, 12½ cents.
One medio, 6¼ cents.
COPPER.
One cuartillo, 3 cents.
One tlaco, 1½ cent.
NICKEL.
Coins of five and two cents, and of one cent, have recently been issued for general circulation.
The standard gold coin is the onza, which equals $16; and there are $10 and $5 gold pieces. They do not circulate, however, so that the traveler will have nothing to do with them.
Paper currency has lately been issued by the Mexican
- ↑ One peso is worth from 85 to 87 cents in United States money, so that a cent is only equivalent to about 8½ mills.
