New Spain Spain, at 42d north (now the northern boundary of the U.S. states of California, Nevada, and Utah). In the 1821 Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire, both Mexico and Central America declared their independence after three centuries of Spanish rule and formed the First Mexican Empire, although Central America quickly rejected the union. After priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla's 1810 Grito de Dolores (call for independence), the insurgent army began an eleven-year war. At first, the Criollo class fought against the rebels. But in 1820, a military coup in Spain forced Ferdinand VII to accept the authority of the
Mexican real ¼, ½, 1, 2, 4 and 8 reales, with gold coins for ½, 1, 2, 4 and 8 escudos. Between 1814 and 1821, copper coins were also issued for ⅛, ¼ and tlaco. During the Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821), numerous mints operated, providing coins for both the supporters and opponents of the Spanish crown. The Royalist issued coins at mints in Chihuahua, Durango, Guadalajara, Guanajuato, Nueva Viscaya, Oaxaca, Real del Catorce, San Fernando de Bexar, San Luis Potosí, Sombrerete, Valladolid Michoacán and Zacatecas. Most Royalist issues were similar in style to the earlier colonial issues from the Mexico City