Aztec Calendar 1/2 oz Silver Round (New)

The Whole Sun Stone at 32.6 mm

The Aztec Calendar 1/2 oz Silver Round fits the entire Aztec Sun Stone onto half a troy ounce of .999 fine silver, with Cuauhtémoc, the last Aztec emperor, on the other side. Golden State Mint strikes it, and it comes out a little wider than a US half dollar.

How the Stone Got Its Name

The Sun Stone spent more than two centuries underground. After the Spanish conquest, Alonso de Montúfar, Archbishop of Mexico from 1551 to 1572, had it buried in the main square of Mexico City. Workers lowering the plaza for new paving struck it on 17 December 1790, about 40 centimeters below the surface. The scholar Antonio de León y Gama came to study it, is credited with giving it the name Aztec Calendar, and pressed the cathedral not to bury it again. It was mounted on the cathedral’s west tower in July 1791, moved into a museum in 1885, and has stood in the National Museum of Anthropology since 1964.

Small Round, Full Design

Nothing is left out at this size. The face at the center, the four panels for the earlier suns, the ring of day signs and the two fire serpents meeting at the base are all there, just smaller. The detail runs finer here than on the larger Aztec sizes. The other side carries Cuauhtémoc in profile in a feathered headdress, his name beneath him, with HALF TROY OUNCE above and .999 FINE SILVER below inside a stepped border.

Half an Ounce Costs More Per Ounce

Half an ounce costs more per ounce than a full ounce does. The mint spends nearly as much striking a small round as a large one, and that cost gets spread across less silver. You pay a higher premium per ounce on every fractional round, and nobody buys a half ounce to get the cheapest silver in the room. Folks buy it to gift, to stack in smaller steps, or to own the design at a lower price per piece.

Aztec Calendar 1/2 oz Silver Round Specifications

Each round holds half a troy ounce of .999 fine silver, measures 32.6 mm across and 1.97 mm thick, and has a reeded edge. Golden State Mint packs them 20 to a tube. It is a privately minted round with no face value, and the Specifications tab has the full details.

Aztec Calendar 1/2 oz Round FAQ

Why is it called the Aztec Calendar?

The name goes back to 1790. The scholar Antonio de León y Gama, who studied the newly found stone, is credited with calling it a calendar. It uses calendar glyphs, but archaeologists at the National Museum of Anthropology think it more likely served as a ceremonial basin or altar.

How big is the 1/2 oz Aztec round?

It measures 32.6 mm across and 1.97 mm thick, about 2 mm wider than a US half dollar.

Who is on the back?

Cuauhtémoc, who ruled Tenochtitlan from 1520 to 1521 as the last Aztec emperor. His name is struck beneath the portrait.

How many come in a tube?

Twenty rounds fill a Golden State Mint tube.

Is the 1/2 oz Aztec round IRA eligible?

Yes. Golden State Mint lists it as IRA approved, and our Specifications tab lists it as IRA eligible.

Want more silver behind the same design? See the Aztec Calendar 1 oz Silver Round.

Add the Aztec Calendar 1/2 oz Silver Round to your cart.