Libertad 5 Onzas - Private Bullion - Anyone Know This Coin?

[7.jaguars]

I bought this on eBay for bullion recently and have been told it is a private minting and nothing to do with the Mexican mint. There is some quite nice engraving on the eagle and the reverse at least looks quasi-official. 

Does anybody have anything to contribute or know anything about this piece?

[jtryka]

I think the Banco de Mexico only began minting the 5-ounce coins in 1996 which would have used the current design as that was the first year of the current design, whereas this is the previous design that was used until 1995 and was not used to mint 5-ounce coins that I am aware of.  In addition, unlike the coins minted by the Banco de Mexico, which all have a date and "Mexico Ley 999" under the statue and a Mexico city mintmark under the statue's left hand, this does not.

[7.jaguars]

Thanks for the good point. Interesting that the eagle side is so well rendered, by itself superior to the usual private issues. Will say I somewhere have a Calendar stone medal that looks almost certainly Mexico City Mint without the usual MM.