The Spurious Guadalajara Coinage of 1860

by Carlos Gúzman y Gúzman

During the Reform War Jalisco was the scene of great political events and of noteworthy battles. Guadalajara suffered two sieges including one from 22 September to 3 November 1860.

The minting of the spurious coin occurred precisely during this last siege. General Severo Castillo, commander of the reactionary troops occupying the city, faced with the imminency of the siege ordered the requisition of necessary articles, imposed loans of one hundred to five thousand pesos on the rich inhabitants, and coerced the man in charge of the Cathedral to deliver the gold and silver holy vases, jewels and ornaments "because the interests of order and the triumph of the cause of the Church so demanded".

General José Velazquez de la Cadena and Lieutenant Colonel José de la Mora, commissioned to carry out the reactionary commander's instructions took from the Cathedral, the convents of Jesús María, Santa Teresa, Santa María de Gracia, and Merced, and the church of Soledad, four thousand four hundred and six silver marks which were minted without previously assaying them for fineness.

One of the leaders of the besieging army, General Pedro Ogazón, recognized by the Liberal or Constitutional Party as the Governor of the State was alarmed at the news of this unauthorized issue. From the encircling lines he sent word to the director of the Mint and prohibited him from carrying out the striking of coins ordered by the besieged General Castillo. The director, however, escaped and Albino del Moral was left in charge. He, together with the workers, was arrested and forced to carry out the production of the issue.

However, this zealous employee was able to engrave secretly on the dies a small dot between the bas-reliefs of the right wing of the eagle, near to the tail of the serpent, so that this unauthorized coin could be recognized as such. He therefore safeguarded his own personal responsibility and maintained the credit and prestige of the Guadalajara Mint.

Whilst the siege continued with all its attendant difficulties, Governor Ogazón. without neglecting military operations, paid attention to the fate of the silver taken from the churches and convents. As a lawyer he was uneasv about the fraudulent coinage issued. From his headquarters, established in the Belen Hospital, he issued a decree declaring this coinage to be false and prohibited its circulation. The test of the decree^{[text needed]} is as follows:

C. Pedro Ogazón, general second in command of the field army, and Constitutional Governor of the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, to the inhabitants of the same be it known: That by virtue of the powers conferred upon me, and considering:
That since in the Mint of Guadalajara coins are being struck from silver taken from the churches which have only a fineness of nine dinars and twenty grains, so that the coinage is below the legal standard; the said coinage is false and cannot be accepted in any business premises; the fraud which has been committed in striking the coins is aggravated since by reducing the fineness the public is deceived, in the name of a government which has always been illegal, by suggesting that all the requirements of the law governing the coining of silver have been complied with: and,
That since the government has the unavoidable duty, not only of safeguarding society from robbery and fraud, but also that of punishing the authors and accomplices of such crimes, I have seen fit to decree the following:
Art. 1. — The circulation of money struck on and after 20 September in the Guadalajara mint by the usurping government of the capital is prohibited.
Art. 2. — All those who gave silver for minting, those who ordered the minting, and those who, in any way whatsoever have taken part, as well as those who have cooperated in the crime shall be held personally and financially responsible.
Art. 3. — The current laws on false coinage are hereby reaffirmed in all their vigour.
Therefore I order that this be printed, published and circulated and that it be obeyed. Given in the Head Quarters of Guadalajara on 17 October 1960. Pedro Ogazón. Ignacio L. Vallarta, Secretary.

The fineness of 10 dineros 20 grams had been established by the Mexican Constitutional Congress of 1 August 1823. The new born country thereby endeavoured to maintain the fineness of their silver coinage as the same as that established by the Spanish government forty two years previously when on 18 March 1771 a secret order from the Crown reduced the fineness from 11 dineros to 10 dineros 20 gms.

At midnight on 29 October the besieged began negotiations and on the following morning fire was suspended. The siege of Guadalajara ended and General Castillo, in accordance with the treaty, left the town at midnight on 2 November and, hours later, it was occupied by the victors.

The first steps taken by Ogazón to reestablish the public administration were followed by the praiseworthy decision to withdraw the money struck by his adversary during the siege from circulation and to exchange it for coins of legal tender^{[text needed]}. This was possible because of the mark which had been surreptitiously made on the coins.

C. Pedro Ogazón, Constitutional Governor of the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, to the inhabitants of the same be it known: That
In use of the ample faculties invested in me, and to avoid the damages caused to commerce by the circulation of false money manufactured by the rebels of Guadalajara during the last siege of this city, and to comply with the decree given by this Government last 17 October, I have deemed fit to decree the following:
Art. 1st. — The Government of the State will withdraw all the money coined by Severo Castillo and his accomplices during the last siege of Guadalajara, to remint it with the fineness money should legally have.
Art. 2nd. — In order to effect the exchange of false money for good coins, the government names the following commercial firms of this capital, who will receive from the public the bad money and will deliver the values represented in good money: Messrs. Fernandez, Somellera Hermanos: Alvarez, Araujo and Company; MacGoun, Jones; Jesus B. and Puga; Andres Somellera, Gustavo Westendarp; José Palomar; Luciano Gómez; Sotero Prieto; Blumen, Kunhard and Company; and Augspurg Rieke and Company.
Art. 3rd. — To facilitate this exchange, the gentlemen commissioned can adopt the method they deem most opportune.
Art. 4th. — A term of two months is granted, so that within the same the possessors of false money deliver and exchange it for legal currency, under the conditions set forth herein. After this term, the possessors are subject to penalties mentioned in the law of 17 October, issued by this government. Therefore, I order that this be printed, published, and circulated among those to whom it may concern, for due compliance. Given in Guadalajara, in the State Government Palace, on 18 November 1860. — Pedro Ogazón. Ignacio L. Vallarta, secretary."

In view of the fact that almost all the fraudulent money could be redeemed, the "falsified, fraudulent, adulterated or spurious" pieces still in existence, have a high numismatical value.