1 Peso - Maximiliano I Pattern Strike, Large Letters

Maximilian I authorized pattern coinage throughout his short reign as the French-installed emperor of Mexico, using trial strikes to evaluate designs and legends before committing to full production runs. This copper piece was almost certainly struck at the Mexico City mint, which continued operating under imperial authority despite persistent republican resistance led by Juárez in the north. The large-letters designation distinguishes it from concurrent small-letters trials — a die variation that reflects genuine indecision about the final specification rather than any accidental difference.

Maximilian was executed by firing squad in June 1867, less than a year after this pattern was struck.