10 Centavos Counterfeit

Counterfeit 10 centavos pieces circulated widely in late 19th-century Mexico, exploiting the fractional silver shortage that plagued provincial commerce. The silver-plated brass construction was sophisticated enough to pass in low-light market transactions, where the weight discrepancy — roughly half that of the genuine coin — often went unnoticed by illiterate rural populations unfamiliar with the official specification.