Mexican coin 1893, 10 Centavos?

Question

I am looking for info in the other letters and numbers on this coin that read ZsZ 902,7

The bottom coin is the same as the top just in bad condition.

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w259/goldenapples78/p2435145.jpg

Answer 1

Probably a pawn shop specialized in those kind of antiques might tell you everything you need.

Answer 2

Hi there,

What a beautiful 10 centavos coin you have (top).  I can't make out the letters at all from the pictures on the bottom it is in such bad shape, but I can tell you exactly what the letters and numbers mean.

the first "Zs" is the mint mark of the Mexican mint in Zacatecas.  Just like Mexico City (Called simply Mexico in Spanish back then) uses Mo as the first and last letter to indicate money was made in that particular mint.  Usually they underline and write the last letter in lower case.



The second "Z" indicates the metal was assayed also in the Zacatecas state.  

And the 902.7 is the "fineness" or purity of the silver determined by the assay, in this case the standard value for those coins of 90.27% pure silver.  (Assays were done in parts per thousand instead of percent for those coins).

Originally there were mints set up in various gold and silver producing regions under Spanish rule.  This became consolidated in the decades around your coins, under stricter central givernment control.  You have some great coins.  Zacatecas is a beautiful town (South of Arizona about two states down) nicknamed "city of silver and roses" and has mines that can be visited deep into the mountains.  Even a nightclub was actually built inside one for the adventurous.

Good you can read the letters as besides Zacatecas and Mexico City, there were at least the following concessions that year: Alamos, Chihuahua, Durango, Guadalajara, Guanajuato, Hermosillo, Oaxaca, San Luis Potosí, and government official assayers somewhat corresponding to the mints D, G, L, M, R, S, Z.

Good Luck!