After the conquest was introduced in New Spain the use of metal coins.
Silver was abundant in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and highly prized in Europe and Asia. For that reason, the metal was destined for export. During the colonial era, New Spain was one of the leading silver producers and mints in the world. In spite of the abundance of the metal there was a shortage of coins of this material in the transactions, reason why appeared in the system the denominated monetary signs that, without being coin, they were assigned a monetary equivalence.
During the sixteenth century, many of the means of payment of pre-Hispanic Mexico disappeared. In the case of cocoa, its function as currency prevailed until the nineteenth century. In the early years of the colony, many services, payments and transactions were made with that seed.
In the seventeenth century the Tlacos appeared, a term that comes from Nahuatl and means "half". The Tlaco was the half of the page (1/4 of real), the denomination coin that was minted in the New Spain.
The Tlacos were made by shopkeepers and miscellaneous owners who became "coin manufacturers". Since there was no obligation to accept them, each shopkeeper accepted those made in his own store.
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