SIX MONTHS IN MEXICO. 



197 



their artists are totally incompetent to the 

 task of executing them in a style worthy of 

 the country. I had consulted with Pistrucci 

 of our mint, and obtained his terms for exe- 

 cuting the dyes for Mexico, but the haste in 

 which the new Government wanted then* 

 finished, prevented the possibility of a com- 

 munication with Europe. The reverse of this 

 coin is the Mexican eagle, seated on the 

 Nopal; it is copied from a fine specimen of 

 the Falco Chrysaetos, which I killed in Scot- 

 land, and is well etched by Howett, in my 

 catalogue of the late London Museum. I 

 hope, therefore, that the new Mexican copy 

 will be an improvement on the figure which 

 has already appeared. 



About 2250 millions of dollars have been is- 

 sued from this place and universally circulated 

 over every part of the globe ; had proper artists 

 been employed in sinking the dye, this vast 

 circulation would have contributed to improve 



