Lot #20: 1969 Cincuenta Centavos Mexico

Obverse:   Animal (fish, bird, mammal etc.) Eagle, SnakeCoat of arms MexicoDepicts the seal of the United Mexican States.The Seal of the United Mexican States is a modified version of the national coat of arms, with the addition of the full official name of the country Estados Unidos Mexicanos, in a semi-circular accommodation in the upper part of the seal. Current and past Mexican peso coinage have had the seal engraved on the obverse of all denominations.The coat of arms depicts a Mexican golden eagle perched on a prickly pear cactus devouring a rattlesnake. To the people of Tenochtitlan this would have strong religious connotations, but to the Europeans, it would come to symbolize the triumph of good over evil (with the snake sometimes representative of the serpent in the Garden of Eden)

Reverse:   Person (king, queen, tsar etc.) CuauhtmocBust of Cuauhtmoc left, with feather crown. Value "Fifty centavos" around top half. Mint and date at bottom.Cuauhtmoc also known as Cuauhtemotzin, Guatimozin or Guatemoc (c. 1497 - c. 1525) was the Aztec ruler (11th Tlatoani of Tenochtitlan) from 1520 to 1521, making him the last Aztec Emperor. The name Cuauhtemc means "Descending Eagle". This is a name that implies aggressiveness and determination.Cuauhtmoc took power in 1520 as successor of Cuitlhuac and was a cousin of the late emperor Moctezuma II. His young wife, who was later known as Isabel Moctezuma, was one of Moctezuma's daughters. He ascended to the throne when he was around 25 years old, while Tenochtitlan was being besieged by the Spanish and devastated by an epidemic of smallpox brought to the New World by the invaders.Cuauhtemoc is the embodiment of indigenist nationalism in Mexico, being the only Aztec emperor who survived the conquest by the Spanish Empire (and their native allies). He is honored by a monument on the Paseo de la Reforma, his face has appeared on Mexican banknotes, and he is celebrated in paintings, music, and popular culture.Designer: Aguila Grues