1892 
Xtsatl&n 
(Jalisco) 
June 
Old 
Coins 
On ny vie it to the Indian village of San Juanito by the lake, an 
old man showed me a couple of coins that had been jfcmed up by the 
lake. On© of copper and the other of silver. Both are without date 
and belong to the first coins struck by the Spanish conquerors in 
. . ' . * ► *' * 1 ' * i * • 
America by a royal decree of May 11, 1535, by the Queen, The coining 
being begun in about 1637, 
^hen the Spaniards first occupied Mexico they had no coined money 
and gold or silver was used being valued by the weight peso, and 
afterwards the use of this word became fixed to the unit of value 
known as the peso, or dollar. The coining of gold was forbidden by 
the decree. As these two pieces represent the first coins struck in 
America by Europeans of which we have knowledge, I give the following 
description of their inscriptions. 
The silver piece is of 2 reales and bears the following stamp* 
2 Real piece in silver. On one side bordered by words Hispaniorura 
et Indiarm with two crowned columns standing in the sea with 
Plus Ultra across them, (Plus Ultra a the King’s motto) and above 
this two round dots between columns showing value 2 reales. On the 
f « 4 ' . ’ . . • - 
obverse side* Encircled by letters, Carolus et Johannes Regs, with 
one on each side of shield in centre bearing lions and castles 
with a pomegranite in lower point. 
The copper piece is 4 marvedls and has on one side 2 circles be¬ 
tween which the inscription Hispaniorum et Indiarum and in centre a 
large I with crown above - castle on left and lion to right and 4 
below. On the Obverse side* Carolus et Johannes Reges -f" • In 
centre a large K with crown above castlo and lion left and right as 
before, and below a pomegranite and , The pieces are rude and 
apparently hand struck. 
Bade of Itsatlan are several old mines,- same idle and others be- 
72 
