Mexican Gold Libertad Coins

Gold Libertads - inspired by the iconic Centenario gold coins

The Mexican Gold Libertad coins are minted by the oldest mint in North America. The Mexican Mint (La Casa de Moneda de México) produces them since 1981 but their iconic design that shows the Angel of Independence actually goes back to the historic Mexican Centenario gold coins. The Mexican Libertad coins are minted out of much purer gold (99.9% purity) than their historic predecessors.

The coins are offered with brilliant uncirculated and proof finishes in the denominations of 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/10 oz and 1/20 oz. Unlike most other contemporary gold bullion coins, Mexican Gold Libertads don't have an official face value. The coins nevertheless have legal tender status in Mexico with their value tied to the current spot price of gold. The gold purity and weight of each Gold Libertad coin is of course guaranteed by the Banco de México.

Investors that want to buy gold coins from Mexico like the Gold Libertads, Gold Centenarios, Gold Aztecas or Mexican Gold Hidalgo coins will not find them as readily available online as other types of gold coins. In the case of the Gold Libertads, the reason for this are their relatively low annual mintage numbers. American buyers that are investing in gold for their retirement may include the Gold Libertad coins in their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA's).

obverse side of the 2014 issue of the brilliant uncirculated 1 oz Gold Libertads

reverse side of the 2014 issue of the brilliant uncirculated 1 oz Mexican Gold Libertad coins

1 oz BU Mexican Gold Libertad 2014

Coin Specifications

Weight	Purity	Diameter x Thickness
1 oz	99.9%	34.5 x 2.5 mm
1/2 oz	99.9%	29 x 1.75 mm
1/4 oz	99.9%	23 x 1.4 mm
1/10 oz	99.9%	16 x 1.0 mm
1/20 oz	99.9%	13 x 0.83 mm

Gold Libertad Coin Design

old obverse side design of the Mexican Libertad gold coins until 1994

The coin's obverse side depicts "El Ángel de la Independencia" (eng: The Angel of Independence) with a laurel wreath in her right hand and broken chains in her left. "El Ángel de la Independencia" (a.k.a. "Monumento a la Independencia") is a victory column in downtown Mexico City. The coin's weight, gold purity and year of mintage are engraved along with the word "Mexico" and the official mint mark.

Since the year 2000, the obverse bears a slightly different design in which the angel faces sideways and the engraving of "Mexico" is omitted. The two famous Mexican volcanoes Popocatepetl and Iztaccíhuatl are depicted in both versions in the background.

The coin's reverse side depicts a rendering of Mexico's coat of arms with an eagle perched on top of a prickly pear cactus holding a serpent in its talons and beak. The words "Estados Unidos Mexicanos" are inscribed along the coin's upper edge. Since 2000, only the 1 oz coin depicts the official Mexican coat of arms surrounded by 10 additional historical coats of arms.

History of the Mexican Gold Libertads

$reverse side design of the Mexican Gold Libertads until 1994, still used on the fractional coins today$

The Mexican Mint ("Casa de Moneda de México") first produced the Mexican Libertad gold coins for only one year in 1981 in the denominations of 1 oz, 1/2 oz and 1/4 oz. A limited number of proof coins were minted in 1983 and 1989. The 1/10 oz and 1/20 oz coins were added to the series in 1991 when production of brilliant uncirculated coins briefly resumed for a few years. All production of the Mexican Gold Libertad ceased between 1995 and 1999.

The Gold Libertad made a comeback in the year 2000 with a slightly altered design. Since then, the angel faces sideways on the obverse side and the reverse side of the 1 oz coin depicts the official Mexican coat of arms in the middle of 10 historical coats of arms. Mintage was then again interrupted in 2001 for a last time. The brilliant uncirculated coins are minted without interruption since 2002 in all five denominations.

With the exception of 2012, proof Gold Mexican Libertads are made annually for every denomination since 2005 (plus 1,000 coins of 1/4 oz in 2004), albeit in much lower mintages than brilliant uncirculated coins.

Mintage Numbers

The highest mintage numbers of the Mexican Libertad gold coin were set in 1981, the first year of production. The year with the lowest mintage of coins with the original design of the obverse side was 1994 when only 1,000 coins of the 1 oz denomination were produced. The lowest mintage of the Mexican Gold Libertad coin with the new design was set in 2003 when only 500 coins of 1 oz were minted.

BU Gold Libertad Coins

	1 oz	1/2 oz	1/4 oz	1/10 oz	1/20 oz
1981	596,000	193,000	313,000	none	none
1991	109,193	10,000	10,000	10,000	10,000
1992	46,281	25,220	28,106	50,777	65,225
1993	73,881	2,500	2,500	10,000	10,000
1994	1,000	2,500	2,500	10,000	10,000
2000	2,730	1,500	2,500	3,500	5,300
2002	15,000	5,000	5,000	5,000	5,000
2003	500	300	300	300	800
2004	3,000	500	1,500	2,000	4,000
2005	3,000	500	500	500	3,200
2006	4,000	500	1,500	2,500	3,000
2007	2,500	500	500	1,200	1,200
2008	800	300	800	2,500	800
2009	6,200	3,000	3,000	9,000	2,000
2010	4,000	1,500	1,500	4,500	1,500
2011	3,000	1,500	1,500	6,500	2,500
2012	3,000	1,500	1,500	6,500	2,500
2013	2,350	450	750	2,150	650
2014	4,050	1,000	1,000	2,450	1,050
2015	4,800	1,100	1,300	4,100	1,300
2016	4,100	1,200	1,000	3,800	2,900
2017	900	700	500	300	1,000
2018	2,050	1,250	1,250	1,500	2,500
2019	4,000	3,000	3,000	2,500	3,000
2020	1,100	700	700	700	700

Mexican Gold Libertad Proof Coins

	1 oz	1/2 oz	1/4 oz	1/10 oz	1/20 oz
1983	88	none	none	none	none
1989	none	704	none	none	none
2004	none	none	1,000	none	none
2005	250	400	2,600	400	400
2006	520	520	2,120	520	520
2007	500	500	1,500	500	500
2008	500	500	800	500	500
2009	600	600	1,700	600	600
2010	600	600	1,000	600	600
2011	1,100	1,100	2,000	1,100	1,100
2013	400	300	600	300	300
2014	250	250	350	250	250
2015	500	500	500	500	500
2016	2,100	2,100	2,100	2,100	2,100
2017	600	700	1,500	1,500	600
2018	1,000	1,000	1,000	1,500	1,000
2019	750	650	800	1,000	1,000
2020	250	250	250	250	250

obverse side of the 2017 issue of the brilliant uncirculated 1 oz Silver Libertads

reverse side of the 2017 issue of the brilliant uncirculated 1 oz Mexican Silver Libertad coins

Mexican Silver Libertads

The Mexican Silver Libertad coins are struck out of 99.9% fine silver since 1982 by the Casa de Moneda de México. The coins bear the same design of the Angel of Independence as the Mexican Gold Libertad coins. That design originated with the historic Mexican 50 Peso gold coins. Silver Libertads are issued in many different sizes ranging from 1/20 oz all the way up to 1 kg. The coins don't have an official face value but are nevertheless legal tender in Mexico. Brilliant uncirculated, proof, reverse proof and antiqued coins are available. Compared with other silver bullion coins, proof coins make up an unusually large share of the total mintage of the coins. Three types of finish exist for the 1 kg coins (brilliant uncirculated, proof-like and high relief proof-like).

The Mexican Silver Libertad page gives more information about the coins and allows you to compare current prices.

Mexican Platinum Libertad

The Mexican Platinum Libertad was only minted in the year 1989. That year, the Casa de Moneda de México produced 3,500 Platinum Libertads out of 99.9% fine platinum. Mintage was limited to a single denomination of 1/4 oz. These coins were only available with a proof finish. The design of both sides of the coins was identical to the gold and silver version of the Libertad coins that was minted until 1994.

The inscription on the mintmarked obverse side of the coins with the Angel of Independence reads: 1/4 ONZA PLATINO PURO 1989 MEXICO LEY 999.

Gold Libertad Proof Sets

5-Coin Mexican Gold Libertad proof Set 2017

5 Coin Proof Set since 2009

total gold weight: 1.9 oz

All five Mexican Gold Libertad proof coins (1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/10 oz and 1/20 oz) are included in this limited mintage set along with a numbered certificate of authenticity and a small information booklet. The coins are individually encapsulated and packaged in a wooden presentation box.