Mexican Coin
Cinco (5) Peso The peso was initially the name of the eight-real coins issued in Mexico by Spain. These were the so-called Spanish dollars or pieces of eight. The name peso means weight, and this is a reference to the principal characteristic of the coin. During colonial times, the silver mines of Mexico supplied ample sources of pure silver and, more importantly, the peso was the first coin to have a border that made it easy to detect if the coin had been tampered with. It was a common practice to cut or wear down the edges of gold and silver coins, thus obtaining raw precious metal. Since the peso was a coin of pure silver with an exact weight, it became very popular. After a decree adopted by the United States on 6 July 1785, the peso became the official currency of most of North America; it also became the foundation for the U.S. monetary system, at a rate of one peso to one dollar. The US dollar was not issued until 2 April 1792, but the peso continued to be officially recognized and used until 21 February 1857. (taken from Wikipedia)
This silver Mexican coin is the coin used to make the Texas Ranger badge. One reason it was chosen was for its high silver content. Tradition states that when a new Texas Ranger is commissioned, a current Ranger is dispatched to retrieve a Cinco(5) Peso coin for the new Ranger's badge. The coin is then sent to the licensed jeweler to have the badge made. The back of our replica Texas Ranger Badge shows the markings of the 5 Peso coin, just as they are left on the back of the actual Texas Ranger badge.
This is a circulated coin. |
