125+ Years of Coins Sales & Market Information
Last Revision: 12/21/05
Finding, collecting and entering into a single database, all gold and silver Mexican Republic (1823 to 1905) coins, their varieties, photo reproductions and sales data from 1878 until the end of 2005. This project began long ago with the 8 Escudos, it now encompasses all 10 gold denominations issued during the Mexican Republic Era, and during 2006 we will move to the silver coinage of the Republic. This survey includes sales data from public auctions, fixed price lists, private treaty sales, periodical ads and Internet sales.
The Mexican FoxLair Project Goals
My original intent was provide me with a series of reports to determine how rare all Republic 8 Escudos were in different grades and to help me establish a price guide for my purchases.
During the years several collectors saw my 8 Escudo reports and asked why I didn't market them? Others wanted to know if I had collected this data for other denominations? Almost everyone who saw these early gold reports wanted me to give them a copy. However, I had several bad experiences with some of my earlier Mexican Republic 8 Reales data; where collectors and dealers promised the exchange of data with me for my information that never seemed to pan out. They received my data, but somehow they forgot to send their data in exchange.
So after much consideration and the urging from collecting friends, I decide to offer several highly informative products for sale to all. These products include data about previously unpublished DAMs, varieties and style changes unknown to all but the most advanced collectors in each coin series. Several of my associates and I have spent considerable time arranging and rearranging this data in easy to use formats. Several other collectors have requested other specialized products, and if we think their ideas are good, we then create new products with their help.
Currently available products are marked with a Blue hyperlink to the product description, sample and order form for each. Future products are marked with a Red hyperlink to the product description and projected delivery date. If you are reading this on the Internet, you will find samples of all our current products and reports for your study.
The Products Created by this Project:
[Home Page] Go to the Mexican Coin Magic Website
Over the years, while doing research for several books I found many interesting facts and stories about Mexico, its mints, and the people behind them in the hundreds of books and thousands of auction catalogs in my reference library. Many of these interesting items did not fit into the format of these books. After a while I started making note of many of them in a crude synopsis file I started on my first PC. After contacting several numismatic periodicals about publishing some of these items, and either being rejected or ignored, my associates and I decided we needed to somehow publish these items.
It seemed simple to us … we would create a website, in a digital magazine format. This Internet magazine would have a new issue every couple of months with completely new content. Thus we began to assemble information and writing the articles for our website. None of my associates nor I had any experience building website, so we started our quest for a website designer. I will not bore you with our many trials and tribulations, only say it was a frustrating experience; we eventually elected to learn to do it ourselves and I became a web-head.
Our first website, Mexican Coin Magic, is free and contains lots of information about all phases and periods of Mexican Numismatics. I'm sure you will find interesting statistics, feature articles, collector and dealer profiles, book reviews, photos and columns about all areas of Mexican Numismatics. The second website, which you are currently reading, will be for ordering information about collecting Mexican coins for a fee or items we have for sale such as coins, books or old auction catalogs. Any and all FoxLair Project reports and books may be purchased directly from this website.
[Intro] The FoxLair Mexican Republic Gold Sales Index Report©
Our first and most comprehensive product from this project is an in-depth report that looks at each individual Mexican Republic gold coin sale (currently over 22,000+ sales) found in our 25 years of research that includes all data about each Republican gold coin sale we have found between 1878 and today. This report’s information is sold by individual DAM (Date/Assayer/Mintmark) and sells for $5.00 each per denomination DAM. Included in this report is the following information about each and every sale of any particular DAM:
[Intro] The FoxLair Mexican Republic Gold Sales Recap Reports©
The second product is a Recap Report of all sales by denomination and DAM from all mints that issued any of the ten Republican gold coins and includes the following important data elements at a cost of $35.00 per denomination with discounts for multiple denominations purchased:
The third product is a new rarity scale devised by FoxLair containing two-parts, especially designed for collectors of Mexican Republic Gold Coins. This Rarity Scale takes into consideration both quantitative and qualitative conditions in which all Mexican Republic Gold Coin are normally found.
Our next product is a list of auction catalogs and fixed price lists found, including those examined by FoxLair noting the inclusion of any and all Mexican Republic gold coins in a particular sale. This report notes the cataloger, sale number when one is used, month and year of the sale and notes the exact number of Republican gold coins in each sale by each of the ten different denominations. Currently this report is well over 100 pages in length and includes many catalogs unseen by our staff. Available for $125 on CD, or $78 in printed form, plus shipping charges.
The fifth product has two parts:
The Mexican Republic Escudos (½ through 8) and Reales (½ through 8)
The Decimal Gold Pesos (1 through 20) and Silver Pesos and Centavos (1 Pesos through 5 Centavos)
We offer a complete list DAMs (Date/Assayer/Mintmarks) currently verified and suspected to exist using the new dynamic FoxLair Unified Numbering System. These DAM lists are available to all interested parties for only $20.00 each to cover the cost of printing, shipping and handling or $40.00 plus postage on electronic (3.5 diskette or CD) media.
The sixth product, available in 2005, is initially available only on CD or DVD, and includes listings of all DAMs and varieties (both verified and suspected) of Mexican Republic Gold Coins and the 8 Reales of the Republican Period. All known and suspected varieties are listed with photo reproductions, where available. Later, if there is enough interest, the reference collections will be expanded to include all Mexican Republic silver coins. Each report (CD) contains a single denomination by mint and will be available at a cost of $35.00 per mint per denomination for single CD mints and $45.00 for multiple CD mints, with discounts for multiple purchases see [Reference Collection Order Form].
Beware some denominations from certain mints such as the 8 Reales from Chihuahua, Durango, Guanajuato, Mexico City, Potosi and Zacatecas, and the Gold 1 Pesos from Mexico City require multiple CDs, these mints will cost $45.00 per mint. Each CD contains a narrative dealing with rarity, condition, mintage figures (where available), design elements and more for each DAM and variety, plus photo reproductions of many varieties. We expect this to be a big seller, even though some varieties will be unavailable for photo reproduction when the CDs are first released.
[Intro] The Mexican Republic Gold and Silver Handbook© CD Series
Originally this product was to be a series of small (6” x 9” spiral bound) books of approximately 100 to 150 pages each. But because of drastic printing price increases they have been put on hold for an unspecified time until we can find a new printing source. If there is enough interest we will issue these handbooks in a CD format? Therefore, if you are interested in purchasing a CD format of these handbooks please contact us. These Handbooks will be issued, if there is enough interest, in the following order:. These small books were intended for the use of all Mexican coin collectors, be they Novice or Advanced collector. The information in each covers a wide variety of useful items, geared primarily to Type Collectors, even though other collectors will find valuable information that has been previously unpublished. Our intended original publication schedule for the Handbooks has been changed to:
1. Mexican Republic Decimal Gold Pesos- 3rd Quarter 2006
2. Mexican Republic Gold Escudos- 4th Quarter 2006
3. Mexican Republic Minor Silver Decimals- No Date as of Now
4. Mexican Republic Minor Silver Reales- No Date as of Now
5. Mexican Republic Silver Pesos- No Date as of Now
Our target retail price for each CD handbook in the series will be $45.00 plus shipping costs.
[08a] The FoxLair Mexican Republic Variety Check Lists©
It is our intent to produce the very best check list and information ever available and published for all Republic of Mexico gold, silver and eventually copper coins and patterns, including all known varieties of Mexican Republic coins in this format. Below are the coins scheduled for inclusion in this series:
[_] Mexican Republic 8 Reales
[_] Mexican Republic Minor Gold Escudos: ½, 1, 2, 4, and 8 Escudos
[_] Mexican Republic Decimal Gold: 1, 2 ½, 5, 10 and 20 Pesos
[_] Mexican Republic Minor Reales: ¼, ½, 1, 2, and 4 Reales
[_] Mexican Republic Minor Silver Decimals: 5, 10, 25, and 50 Centavos
[_] Mexican Republic Silver 1 Pesos
[Intro] The FoxLair Republic of Mexico Comprehensive Price Guide©
Our last product, several years down the road, will be a real Mexican Republic coin price guide, which takes into consideration not only current values, but also the difference “in grade” of each coin and what grades each DAM may expected to be found. We will not use some ridiculous formula, but actual sales prices of coins sold publicly and in private treaty sales. We will not even attempt to build and sell this product until we have the resources to update this publication at least once every two to three years. But you will find a “real” sample of what we intend to publish in our samples by executing the hyperlink above.
Why this Project is Important
Accurate high quality published information is the keystone for any collectable! If good printed information is unavailable, about any items being collected, the result will be a soft and fragmented market, if one exists at all.
If accurate, high quality information and lists with varieties, condition available, values and or prices realized are unavailable, how are collectors supposed to collect specific items?
However, history has proven if this information is readily available, then all collectors are able to compete with each other on an almost even basis when items come to market at public auctions, in dealer showrooms or on fixed price lists. Good and easily available information helps fuel any and all collectable markets and tends to drive up collector interest and prices over the long run and ultimately brings new material to the market. If this information does not exist, then markets for any collectable starts to dry up and disappear as collectors’ interests wane.
Even though Mexican coins are among the oldest manufactured products of the New World, there has been less informative published material available for and about them than any other major coin producer in the world. While there are several good sources of information about some Mexican coins, the Republican Period has been long ignored by researchers and competent writers in the past. The Colonial, War of Independence and Revolutionary War periods, the two Imperial Periods of Mexico and now the Hookneck series are well documented and have variety listings with logical numbering systems well designed to allow serious and advanced collectors to communicate with each other about their collections and the coins contained there in. However, this is has not been the case with the Mexican Republican Period!
Several recent books about Republican Period coins are very important publications, but are limited in their scope of work. Each of these books has its shortcomings, but each book is still very important to the advancement of the overall field of Mexican Republican Numismatics.
Mike Dunigan and J.B. Parker published the first book, Resplandores, in 1997 and it is by far the greatest work to date dealing with the Republican 8 Reales. My single biggest problem with this book is the lack of a complete and dynamic numbering system for the many varieties they included in their work. A second problem is the lack of a complete and total in-depth study of the many different die varieties created by the 14 Mexican mints producing 8 Reales during the Republican Period, as Dunigan and Parker limited their work to only major varieties as defined by them.
A second book, Hookneck, also published in 1997 by Clyde Hubbard and David O’Harrow is also a monumental work! The only drawback with this book is its limited study period; covering only the Hookneck series of both gold and silver coins minted from 1823 until 1825 in the three mints producing these coins. One cannot fault the authors’ exhaustive study of the history behind the coins and the varieties then available to them or their comprehensive numbering system. This book has peaked the interest of all Hookneck coins to a high degree by collectors all over the world, so much so that the authors have already issued a new addendum to this work that includes new varieties the authors knew nothing about at the time they issued their book. But even more important, this book has caused a dramatic increase in the interest and a drastic price increase for the entire short Hookneck series. I also personally believe it is the direct cause for the many new Hookneck coins entering the market; because now for the first time people know what they are collecting, buying and selling!
Noted dealer and researcher, Richard A. Long released a third new book about Mexican Republic coinage in early 2005, ending a multi-year project. Gold Coins Of The Early Mexican Republic: 1823 – 1873 is another great work, but it to has several omissions that detract from its use a standard reference work. This book is primarily a pricing guide based on Long’s extensive knowledge of the Mexican coin market since 1969 when he began a long series of mail bid auctions and fixed price lists specializing in Mexican paper money and coins. While many collectors will love Long’s pricing charts, the lack of many varieties and a few unpublished DAMs, plus very few photo reproductions and a comprehensive numbering system, may turn off some collectors.
Other examples of this phenomena come easily to mind. One has to only look at today’s great interest in U.S. Large Cents. Where would the collecting and market be, if Dr. William Sheldon hadn’t taken the time to write Penny Whimsy or his earlier work? Would the interest and market for these coins be so good, if nothing had been written?
Even the study and analysis of a limited number of coin sales can have a dramatic effect on individual coin markets! Ask yourself this question, “What effect on the U.S. Gold Coin Market did David Akers's analysis of less than 400 auction sales have when published?”
The Overall Effect of The Project
There were millions, if not billions, of coins produced by the Mexican mints during the Republican Period and we have already seen many very interesting and rare coins appearing on Internet websites and auctions from Europe, the United States, Mexico and even South America, in addition to many altered date and assayer fakes from China. Over the next few years we expect to see not only increased prices in the coins listed in our reports, but we should also see a sizable increase in the numbers of these coins coming on the market for the first time, once people realize the rarity, the interest and increased prices in these coins.
But the big difference will be the new collectors generated! These new collectors will finally have good and readily available information that is based on real sales statistics. These new collectors are flocking to the Internet to buy coins and to find well written and good information at reasonable prices.
To this end, creating new collectors and converting Type Collectors to DAM or Variety Collectors, has caused us to work on a comprehensive website. This website (Mexican Coin Magic) covers many areas of collecting with news about coin auctions, new varieties discovered and interesting stories about Mexican Numismatics and its history. Each issue, of this online magazine, will feature stories about current or old-time dealers and auction houses and collector profiles. Hopefully, this website will act like and have much the same effect on the Mexican coin market as did B. Max Mehl’s Star Coin Book on the U.S. coin market in generations past!
Sample Reports available:
[01b] FoxLair Mexican Republic Gold Sales Index Reports©- Estado de Mexico 8 Escudos
[02b] FoxLair Mexican Republic Gold Sales Recap Reports©- Culiacan ½ Escudos
[03b] FoxLair Republic of Mexico Gold Coin True Rarity Scale©
[04b] The FoxLair Mexican Republic Gold Sales Catalog & FPL Master-
125+ Years of Auctions & Fixed Price Lists 1878 until 2005©
[05b] FoxLair Republic of Mexico Decimal Gold DAM Master List©
[06b] FoxLair Mexican Republic 8 Escudos Reference Collections©- Alamos 8 Escudos
[07b] FoxLair Ultimate Mexican Republic Handbook© Series
[08b] FoxLair Mexican Republic Varieties Check List©-
[Free 09b Sample] FoxLair Mexican Republic 8 Escudo Comprehensive Price Guide©
[Free 09c Sample] FoxLair Mexican Republic 8 Reales Comprehensive Price Guide©
Thanks for your time and interest in The FoxLair Mexican Republic Coin Project!
We may be contacted at any of the following at your convenience:
Phone: (956) 943-8409 or Email: FoxLairAJ@aol.com
Mailing address:
Ralph Poucher, Jr.
FoxLair Partners, Ltd.
PO Box AJ
Port Isabel, TX 78578 USA
Or websites – www.MexicanCoinMagic.com and www.MexicanFoxLair.com
[Home Page] Return to The Mexican FoxLair Home Page
[Table of Contents] Go to The Mexican FoxLair Table of Contents
[MCM Home Page] Go to Mexican Coin Magic Home Page