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Follow on Google News | Mexican Archaeological Treasure Appears On One Of The World’s Largest CoinsThe pre-Columbian Aztec Calendar Stone appears on a pure silver Mexican coin that weighs one kilo (over 2 1/2 troy pounds), available from the American distributor Panda America (Torrance, California).
By: Mel Wacks The stone may have been a monument or possibly a sacrificial altar. The sun god Tonatuih is in the center; each of his hands holds a human heart. The god is surrounded by four squares that represent previous creations that perished by jaguars, wind, rain and water. Next come representations of the Aztec calendar consisting of 18 months, each 20 days long, plus 5 "unlucky" days adding up to a 365-day year. Finally, there are head-to-head snakes with the date of the carving indicated between the tails. Casa de Moneda (Mexican Mint), the oldest mint in the Americas—established in 1535—has produced just 1,500 pure 99.9% silver legal tender $100 face value coins featuring the Aztec Calendar Stone in meticulous detail and superb prooflike quality. These are among the world’s largest coins, weighing 1 kilogram (2.68 troy pounds) and measuring 110 mm. (over 4 inches) in diameter. The reverse of the coin features 11 National Shields—picturing an eagle standing on a cactus--used throughout Mexico’s history. The 2009 Aztec Calendar Silver Kilo coins are offered by the official American distributor-- For picture see: http://www.pandaamerica.com/ # # # Panda America was established in 1982. It distributes coins for many government mints including Australia, China, Great Britain, Israel, Mexico, etc. Sales in 2008 totaled over 25 million dollars. End
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