How Many Varieties?
There are three recognized varieties of Silver Souvenir Pesos from 1897. In this article I will explain the differences in each and touch on different things to look for when grading/ buying these coins.
Variety Number One "PAT. 97 on Neck / Wide Date"
Key Points
- Krause X# M1
- Mintage 828
- Features PAT.97 on the base of neck
- Features large gaps between numbers in the date
- NGC has certified these as “Wide Date” and “PAT. 97 on Neck”
- PCGS has certified these as “PAT. 97”
Strike Quality Differences in PAT. 97 Pesos
Grading PAT. 97 Pesos
- Grading services will check the highlighted areas for rub when determining if the coin is uncirculated (MS) or About uncirculated (AU)
- Lack of details does not imply that the coin is not uncirculated. These coins often had weak strikes which can result in missing details.
- Nearly all souvenir pesos have a dull gray color and do not have as much luster as other .900 silver coins
- The coin pictured is PCGS MS62
Variety Number Two "Close Date Star Below Baseline"
Key Points
- Krause X# M2
- Mintage 4,286
- Features star on right side blow the 7 in 1897
- NGC has certified these recently as “Close Date”
- PCGS has certified these as “Close Date Star Below”
Variety Number Three "Close Date Stars Above"
Key Points
- Krause X# M3
- Mintage 4,856
- Features star on right side above baseline of date
- NGC has certified these recently as “Close Date”
- PCGS has certified these as “Close Date Star Above”
Things to Remember When Buying Souvenir Pesos
- NGC now certifies X#M2 and X#M3 as close date and does not describe whether the coin is star above or below.
- It is nearly impossible to to find these with lots of visual luster and eye appeal
- PAT. 97 is the hardest of the 3 to find.
Author
Andrew Lydic – Numismatist – E-Commerce Manager at Coinacopia
Works Cited
Images courtesy of Heritage Auctions
“Cuba.” Unusual World Coins: Companion Volume to Standard Catalog of World Coins, by George S. Cuhaj, KP Books, 2011, pp. 158–159.