1000 Pesos Pattern; Atlan; Aluminium

Pattern coinage from Casa de Moneda de México in this period reflects the monetary chaos preceding the 1993 redenomination, when Mexico slashed three zeros from the peso and introduced the nuevo peso. This 1000-peso piece was part of the exploratory striking program evaluating lightweight alloys as the government weighed the costs of maintaining a coinage system with face values that had been obliterated by decades of inflation. Aluminium was ultimately rejected for circulation stock — the alloy caused vending machine interference and proved difficult to authenticate at scale.