8 Reales Pattern, Gorrito Guanajuato Prueba, copper

Pattern coinage from the Guanajuato mint during this decade reflects the profound institutional uncertainty of early Mexican independence, when individual state mints operated with considerable autonomy and occasionally struck trial pieces to test dies or propose design changes without central authorization from Mexico City. The "gorrito" — the Phrygian cap motif associated with republican liberty — appears on several pattern types from this period, and copper strikes were standard for die trials since the metal was cheap and workable.

KM#Pn22 is sparsely documented, and surviving examples are genuinely rare in any condition.