Mexico, 1994 AD., Bullion coinage, Pre-Columbian - Mayan Series, Mexico city mint, 2 Nuevo Pesos, KM 573.
Mexico, Bullion coinage, Pre-Columbian - Mayan Series, Mexico city mint, 1994 AD.,
s Nuevo Pesos (33 mm / 15,54 g), 0.999 silver, 15,55 g. theor. mint weight, coin alignment ↑↓ (180°), reeded edge,
Obv.: ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS // 1/2 ONZA DE PLATA / LEY 0,999 , national arms, eagle left on cactus, wings spread, snake in beak, branches below, all within six sided shield and designed border.
Rev.: 1994 - Mo / CHAAC-MOOL // N$ 2 , reclining figure of Chaac Mool within six sided shield and designed border.
KM 573 .
Year (quality) / Mintage
1994 (matte) 30,000
1994 (proof) 2.500
2,500 Chac-Mool is the name given to a type of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican stone statue. The Chac-Mool depicts a human figure in a position of reclining with the head up and turned to one side, holding a tray over the stomach. The meaning of the position or the statue itself remains unknown.
Chac-Mool statues are found in or around temples in Toltec and other post-Classic central Mexican sites, and in post-Classic Maya civilization sites with heavy Toltec influence, such as Chichen Itza.
The ancient name for these type of sculptures is unknown. The name Chac-Mool is attributed to Augustus Le Plongeon, who excavated one of the statues at Chichen Itza in 1875. Le Plongeon named it Chaacmol, which he translated from the Maya as "thundering paw." Le Plongeon claimed the statue was a depiction of a former ruler of Chichen Itza. Le Plongeon's sponsor, Stephen Salisbury of Worcester, Massachusetts, published Le Plongeon's find, but revised the spelling to "Chac-Mool."
Chac-Mools should not be confused with Chaac, one of the leading deities in Maya mythology associated primarily with the phenomena of rain and thunder, and with whom they are not associated.
Chac-Mools can be found throughout Central Mexico and Yucatán. In addition to Tula and Chichen Itza, sites known for Chac-Mools include Mexico City, Cempoala, Tlaxcala, and Quiriguá in Guatemala.