Banorte Medal. Year 3 (1988)

This medal celebrates the third year of Banorte, the commercial name of Banco Mercantil del Norte, an institution that emerged in 1986 from the merger of two Monterrey banks with roots in the 19th century. The series of annual anniversaries went on recording the consolidation of the new brand.

Turning three years old in the competitive banking landscape of the country's north was cause for institutional celebration, and the piece reflected the drive to project solidity and permanence.

Struck in silver, it is a commercial medal of anniversary, the kind that financial institutions commissioned to distribute among executives, employees, and clients as a memento of their trajectory.

What it shows

The reverse, which is the main face, bears a large stylized number alongside the legend AÑOS 1988 and geometric flourishes that echo the brand's logo. The obverse repeats that emblem: a sun with angular rays over wavy lines suggesting water or mountains, and beneath it the legend BANORTE / BANCO MERCANTIL DEL NORTE. It is a corporate piece, restrained, with the mirror finish typical of commemorative bank issues.

Context

Banorte, Banco Mercantil del Norte, is a Mexican financial institution with roots in the north of the country. This 1988 medal belongs to the issues that banks commissioned to mark internal anniversaries and to give away to clients or employees. It did not circulate as money: it was an object of institutional image, not legal tender.

Value and collecting

No commemorative medal like this is legal tender, so its value does not depend on a face value but on the metal and the condition. It is described as silver, at 29.38 g and 38 mm, so the silver content sets a floor and the state of preservation, with no scratches or dings in the mirror field, does the rest. Before buying or selling, it is worth comparing equivalent pieces in the shops directory and settling authenticity questions in the forum.