Mexico Arras (Recuerdo Matrimonial) Token

A Catholic wedding tradition requires that the groom gives the bride a container of 13 coins known as an arras. Wealthy grooms can give gold coins as arras. Next would be silver, then copper coins. Others would use gold-plated or silver-plated tokens (not coins, but they look like coins). Most of these come from Mexico, but there are similar tokens from other countries.

These tokens often have the words 'Recuerdo Matrimonial' which translates as 'Wedding Souvenir' or 'Marriage Memory'. Other tokens, specifically 'Maximilano' gold tokens made to look like old-fashioned coins, could be used as arras.

F. Stevens over at Forrest's Token Page has done a lot of work in arras tokens. You can see his excellent summary (with plenty of pictures) at this link.

These are modern tokens. As such, their value depends soley on their precious metal content. If the tokens are made of gold, they are valuable, probably $500 US dollars or more at today's high gold prices. Take your arras to a jeweler to determine gold content, gold purity, and gold weight. Copper or plated pieces will be worth far less, essentially zero. Pure silver (take it to a jeweler) will be worth $5 or so at today's prices.

The sentimental value usually outweighs the actual gold value. On a secondary market, however, gold value prevails.
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