Zacatecas Medal. 400th Anniversary (1946)

In 1946 the fourth centennial of the founding of Zacatecas was commemorated, four hundred years since the city was established in 1546 by Juan de Tolosa after the discovery of its extraordinarily rich silver mines, which made it one of the great mining centers of New Spain.

This silver medal celebrates that anniversary, and the chosen metal is no accident: Zacatecas owes its history and splendor to the silver it drew from its hills over centuries, wealth that sustained the Spanish Crown and gave Mexican silver worldwide fame.

The piece is a testament to Zacatecan mining pride. It documents four centuries of a city whose baroque architecture, financed by silver, has made it a jewel of Mexican heritage, and whose history is inseparably tied to the metal that gives meaning to the nation's numismatics.

The Zacatecas 400th Anniversary medal, struck in 1946, celebrates four centuries of one of the most emblematic cities of central Mexico, cradle of the silver that brought wealth to the country for centuries. It is a silver piece evoking Zacatecas's mining history in a collector's format.

Made of silver, it measures 37.72 millimeters in diameter and weighs 24.78 grams. Since it is a silver medal, its value starts from a floor: the precious-metal content. Above that, what drives it up is condition, how short the issue was, and interest in the subject it commemorates. A piece with no wear and its original case is worth quite a bit more than a mishandled one.

How to identify and value this medal

1. Confirm the metal. It is silver; weigh it to estimate its fine-metal content.
2. Read the legend and the motif. It commemorates the 400th anniversary of Zacatecas, which defines its historical interest.
3. Check the condition. No scratches or harsh cleaning, with natural patina.
4. Look for the case and certificate if it ever had them: they add collector value.

Explore more pieces in the Mexican numismatics catalog and learn to read the marks in the guide on how to identify Mexican mints. For the collector, this medal is cataloged as Grove, Medals of México, II #549a.