Mexican Gold Coins - 20 pesos of Maximilian I 1866-Mo Mexico City mint.
The 1866-M° Maximilian Twenty Pesos was struck in 1866 and is part of the Mexican Imperial Coinage series.
Obverse. Head of Maximilian, in profile to the right, with moustache and heavy, pointed beard. Beneath the head, on a bowed ribbon, NAVALON OCAMPO SP1R1TU (names of designer and engravers). Legend: to the left, MAXIMILIANO and to the right, EMPERADOR A border of small pellets.
Reverse. On a sword and sceptre crossed in saltire, the imperially crowned arms of Mexico, in an elliptical shield, supported by griffins. The border of the shield is laurelled, and surrounded by the Order chain of the Eagle; below the shield a ribbon is suspended on which are the words EQUIDAD EN LA JUSTICIA [Equity in justice, i. e. in its administration ]; above all, the legend: IMPERIO MEXICANO [Mexican Empire.] In the lower left margin, 20 PESOS and opposite, at the right, 1866 Ṁ. A border of small pellets as on the obverse. Struck only at Mexico mint in 1886. No other mint or date known. Gold.
The dies for this piece were evidently prepared with great care, and were highly finished, and were the work of three artists, whose names or initials appear on several of the medals and coins; on some of these two are to be found in combination, but in no previous instance are three to be found together except Maximilian Medal (OCAMPO G) and Maximilian Medal (Round Head), on which two names appear on the obverse and another on the reverse.
Coins of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico
Maximilian I, Emperor of Mexico (born Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph) was a member of Austria's Imperial Habsburg-Lorraine family, brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I. With the backing of Napoleon III of France and a group of Mexican conservatives, he was proclaimed Emperor of Mexico on April 10, 1864. Many foreign governments refused to recognize his government, especially the United States; this ensured the success of Republican forces led by Benito Juárez, and Maximilian was executed, after his capture by Mexican Republicans, in Querétaro in 1867. He is buried in the famous Imperial Crypt in Vienna.