CVC & Collectables presents a State of Zacatecas brass Octavo (1/8 Real) dated 1862, a locally issued small-change coin struck for everyday commerce. Certified PCGS VF 35, it shows strong detail and pleasing circulation color.
Coin Highlights:
- Country: Mexico
- State: Zacatecas
- Year: 1862
- Denomination: 1/8 Real
- Catalog Number: KM-338
- Composition: Copper
- Grade: PCGS VF35
- Obverse: Features a winged allegorical figure before a radiant background.
- Reverse: Displays the coat of arms of Zacatecas, featuring the prominent hill or mountain surmounted by a cross and surrounded by floral elements.
- Reverse Legends: Includes EST. LIB. Y FED. DE ZACATECAS, identifying Zacatecas as a Free and Federal State, with OCTAVO below.
- Certification: Professionally authenticated and graded VF35 by PCGS.
Design & Devices
The obverse is particularly distinctive, showing a winged female figure against an array of radiating lines. The reverse carries the traditional arms of Zacatecas, centered on Cerro de la Bufa, an important landmark closely associated with the city and state. The denomination OCTAVO refers to one-eighth of a real.
Historical Significance
During the 19th century, several Mexican states produced their own fractional copper coinage to meet the everyday need for small-denomination currency. These issues often incorporated regional symbols and inscriptions rather than the standardized national designs seen on Mexico’s larger silver coinage.
Struck in 1862, this Zacatecas issue dates to a particularly unsettled period in Mexican history, as the country faced political instability and the beginning of the French Intervention in Mexico. State-issued pieces such as this provide a tangible connection to Mexico’s regional monetary system during this era.
Collectibility
Certified PCGS VF35, this example retains clear major design elements and attractive detail for a circulated 19th-century copper issue. Its regional Zacatecas origin, unusual allegorical design, and KM-338 attribution make it an appealing addition to collections of Mexican state coinage and early fractional denominations. Find more alike here!
