The $10 peso coin shows the Tonatiuh (the Sun God) contained in the center of the Aztec Sun Stone.

four pendants in thsi auction

This beautiful $10 Peso coin from Mexico of bi metal design displays the Sun God (Tonatiuh) in the centre of the Sun stone

The coin is two tone colours and set in sterling silver clasp pendant with service chain.

pendant not stamped

Coin and pendant weighs 11.9 grams.

size 38x 29x 2mm

Tonatiuh (pronounced Toh-nah-tee-uh) was the Aztec sun god. This deity had both a positive and negative aspect. As a benevolent god, Tonatiuh provided humans and other living beings with warmth and fertility. In order to do so, however, he needed sacrificial victims.

Tonatiuh was also the patron of warriors, especially of the important jaguar and eagle warrior orders, among whose duties was to capture war victims to sacrifice in his honor.

Tonatiuh governed the era under which the Aztecs lived, the era of the Fifth Sun. According to Aztec mythology, the world had passed through four ages, called Suns. The first era, or Sun, was governed by the god Tezcatlipoa , the second one by Quetzalcoatl, the third one by the rain god Tlaloc, and the forth one by the goddess Chalchiuthlicue. The current era, or fifth sun, was governed by Tonatiuh. According to the legend, during this age the world is characterized bymaize eaters and it will violently come to an end, through an earthquake.

Tonatiuh’s Image

One of the most famous images of Tonatiuh is represented on the stone of Axayacatl, the famous Aztec calendar. At the center of the stone, the face of Tonatiuh represents the current Aztec world, the Fifth Sun, whereas the surrounding symbols represent the calendric signs of the past four eras.