Proof Silver Libertads

Design of the Proof Mexican Silver Libertads

Symbolizing victory and independence, the goddess Victoria is proudly standing on the obverse of the Libertad. She is lightly balancing on one foot, with arms branched off, and wings extending to the heavens. She is accompanied by two famous volcanoes, Popocatépetl and Iztaccihuatl. Legend has it that Iztaccihuatl was once a princess who fell in love with a warrior named Popocatépetl. The warrior was sent to battle so the distraught princess got very ill, due to his absence, and died. When he returned from war, he immediately rushed the princess to the mountains, where the gods resided. He begged that they would restore her life so they could spend eternity side-by-side. Instead, the gods turned the lovers into mountains so they would never be apart. The Mexican Mint's mark, "MO," is visible on the right hand side of the winged Victoria. In Spanish, ".999 pure silver," is stated around the edge of the coin. The reverse design is a copy from Mexico's national seal, depicting an eagle eating a snake while standing on a prickly pear cactus. Throughout history, the eagle has represented a regal and powerful figure. The act of the eagle eating the snake represents good triumphing evil, an appropriate seal for a strong nation.

Proof Libertad Sizes and Mintages

Similar to its counterpart, the BU Mexican Silver Libertad, the Proof 1oz Mexican Silver Libertad was first minted in 1982. Since then, other sizes have been minted in proof condition, including 2oz, 5oz, 1/2oz, 1/4oz, 1/10oz, and 1/20oz. The Proof Mexican Silver Libertad series contains much lower mintages than the BU series and carries a higher value as well. This is due to the fact that Proof Mexican Libertads are more expensive to produce so keeping the mintage at a minimum is ideal for the producer. Most of the Proof Mexican Silver Libertads contain low mintages and are therefore, more difficult to obtain than the BU versions.

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