(Rosemont, Illinois) — The public can see historic, centuries-old rare coins from Mexico in a special exhibit by Banco de México at the World’s Fair of Money^SM (www.WorldsFairOfMoney.com) at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, August 5 – 9, 2014.  

            The “peso de a ocho” silver coins in the exhibit were frequently used in international trade in the 1700s and 1800s.

            “The real de a ocho denomination coins that were made by Spain in Mexico and other Latin America countries in the 18th and 19th centuries were popular among merchants in Asia, the Americas and Europe.  However, there were problems with counterfeit coins that flooded the markets in Asia,” said Douglas A. Mudd, Curator of the American Numismatic Association Money Museum who is assisting with the Banco de México exhibit.

            “Because of the counterfeiting, merchants in China would test the coins to determine if they were genuine and then punch a small symbol — a ‘chop mark’  — to indicate the coin was not a fake.  The more chop marks the better, as far as the Chinese merchants were concerned.  In other regions, pieces were cut out of the coins in order  to make change, and both pieces could then be used in circulation!  These are the kinds of historic Mexican ‘Trade Dollars’ people will see in this exhibit,” Mudd explained.

            The Mexican coins will be among the more than $100 million of rare coins and colorful paper money that will be exhibited at the World’s Fair of Money.

Sponsored by the nonprofit American Numismatic Association, the five-day event will have displays by government and private mints from around the world, and more than 1,000 coin and currency dealers will be buying and selling items ranging in price from only a dollar to over a million dollars. 

Admission will be free on Free Appraisal Day, Saturday, August 9, when the public can get complimentary, educational appraisals of their old coins and paper money from top numismatic experts. 

“Money is history you can hold in your hands.  Every coin and every piece of paper money ever made has a story to tell about people, places or events,” said Walter Ostromecki, President of the Congressionally-chartered, 25,000 member American Numismatic Association (www.money.org).

            The World’s Fair of Money will be held in Hall A of the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Rd., in Rosemont.  Public hours will be 10:00 am to 5:30 pm Tuesday through Friday, August 5 – 8, and from 10 am – 4 pm on Saturday, August 9.

            Admission is $6 for adults and free for children 12 and under the first four days of the show.  There will be complimentary admission for everyone on Free Appraisal Day, Saturday, August 9.  Discount admission coupons and additional details about the show are available online at www.WorldsFairOfMoney.com.