1/2 Real Insurgent Coinage

Oaxaca fell under insurgent control in November 1812 when José María Morelos captured the city, and the provisional government immediately faced the practical problem of supplying a currency that royalist mints would not provide. These small silver pieces were struck hurriedly under difficult conditions, and the irregular fabric of surviving examples reflects exactly that — improvised dies, inconsistent planchet preparation, and a mint operating under siege conditions rather than institutional routine.

Morelos lost Oaxaca to royalist forces under Melchor Múzquiz in March 1814, ending the insurgent mint's output entirely after less than two years.