With regard to silver coinage, Mexico has followed the model established by the Roman Empire 2,000 years ago.The Roman emperors did not have enough cash to pay for the expenses of the Empire. They had to pay the bureaucracy, they had to pay for “bread and circuses” for the rowdy Roman population and importantly, they had to pay the armies that kept the barbarian invaders at bay. Taxes brought in insufficient revenue and there was only one thing they could do – reduce the silver content of the coinage. During the late Roman Empire bronze coins were ingeniously silver-plated to resemble silver coins; a little rubbing revealed the bronze.
