Mexico City is the capital city of Mexico. It is the most important economic, industrial and cultural center in the country, and the most populous city with 8,836,045 inhabitants in 2008. Greater Mexico City incorporates 59 adjacent municipalities of Mexico State and 1 municipality of the state of Hidalgo, according to the most recent definition agreed upon by the federal and state governments. In the last national census (2005) Greater Mexico City had a population of 19.2 million people, making it the largest metropolitan area in the western hemisphere and the third largest in the world by population. The estimated population for the Metropolitan Area is 19,826,918 as of 2008. Mexico City is also the Federal District. The Federal District is coextensive with Mexico City: both are governed by a single institution and are constitutionally considered to be the same entity. This has not always been the case. The Federal District, created in 1824, was integrated by several municipalities, one of which was the municipality of Mexico City. As the city began to grow, it engulfed all other municipalities into one large urban area. In 1928, all municipalities within the Federal District were abolished, an action that left a vacuum in the legal status of Mexico City vis-à-vis the Federal District, even though for most practical purposes they were traditionally considered to be the same entity. In 1993, to end the sterile discussions about whether one concept had engulfed the other, or if any of the two entities had any existence in lieu of the other, the 44th Article of the Constitution of Mexico was reformed to clearly state that Mexico City is the Federal District, seat of the Powers of the Union and capital of the United Mexican States. Mexico City is located in the Valley of Mexico, also called the Valley of Anáhuac, a large valley in the high plateaus at the center of Mexico, at an altitude of 2,240 meters (7,349 ft). It was originally built by the Aztecs in 1325 on an island of Lake Texcoco.

American Silver Eagle

The American Silver Eagle is the official silver bullion coin of the United States of America. The United States Mint first released it in November 1986. It struck only in the one-troy ounce size, which has a face value of 1 dollar and guaranteed to contain one troy ounce of 99.9% pure silver. The United States Mint certifies its content, purity, and weight. Silver Eagle bullion coins, along with American Gold Eagle bullion coins are viable investment alternatives to the gold and silver bullion coins produced by other countries. To ensure wide distribution of the coins, the United States Mint awarded a contract to Grey Advertising to assist in marketing and publicizing the coins domestically and internationally. The design on the coin's obverse taken from the "Walking Liberty" design by Adolph A. Weinman, which originally had been used on the Walking Liberty Half Dollar coin of the United States from 1916 to 1947. As this iconic design had been a public favorite—and indeed one of the most beloved designs of any United States coinage of modern times, silver or otherwise—it revived for the Silver Eagle decades later. The obverse inscribed with the year of minting or issuance, the word LIBERTY, and the phrase IN GOD WE TRUST. The reverse is by John Mercanti and portrays a heraldic eagle behind a shield; the eagle grasps an olive branch in its right talon and arrows in its left talon, echoing the Great Seal of the United States; above the eagle are thirteen five-pointed stars representing the Thirteen Colonies. The reverse inscribed with the phrases UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 1 OZ. FINE SILVER ONE DOLLAR, and E PLURIBUS UNUM as well as the applicable mintmark. Like the American Gold Eagle and American Platinum Eagle bullion coins, the United States Mint does not sell Silver Eagle bullion coins directly to the public. In order to provide "effective and efficient distribution, which maximizes the availability of the coins in retail markets as well as major investment markets" the Mint utilizes a network of authorized purchasers to distribute the coins. The coins sold in bulk at a premium over the spot price of silver. The coins sold to banks, brokerage companies, coin dealers, precious metal firms, and wholesalers that meet the following requirements. Be an experienced and established market maker in silver bullion coins. Provide a liquid two-way market for the coins. Be audited annually by an internationally accepted accounting firm. Have an established broad base of retail customers to which to distribute the coins. Have a tangible net worth of $5 million. Authorized purchasers must order a minimum of 25,000 coins, which they sell to secondary retailers that sell them, in turn, to the public.