20 Pesos - Maximiliano I Pattern

Maximilian's gold coinage was already in production by 1866, but pattern strikes in copper were produced at multiple points during his reign to test dies and secure official approval before committing to precious metal production runs. This piece exists in that administrative gap — a die trial rather than a circulating proposal. Maximilian's entire monetary program was premised on a stable empire that French troops were already preparing to abandon; Napoleon III began withdrawing forces that same year under American diplomatic pressure invoking the Monroe Doctrine.

The "var." designation against KM#PN106 suggests a die or edge distinction not fully catalogued by Krause — worth comparing against the Buttrey & Hubbard census.