Face of the Coin
During the 1940s, several proposals were made regarding Guatemalan coins. It was decided that each coin should feature a symbol representing the country's identity and culture. The 25-cent coin was engraved with the face of a Mayan woman. Her name is Concepción Ramírez Mendoza, from Santiago Atitlán.
Artist: Vicente Xiloj López
Born in the town of El Palmar, in the department of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, Vicente Xiloj is the sixth of ten siblings, son of Vicente Xiloj Alvarez and Casimira Lopez. He studied up to sixth grade and started working at 13 on cardamom, macadamia, and coffee farms. While working as a security guard for Jade Maya, his good performance led the Ridinger family to transfer him to Casa Las Victorias as a private driver. They provided him with tools to develop his talent, and his first jade carving was a mint green elephant. From 1991 to 1996, Vicente created important sculptures such as ceremonial knives, owls, and frogs. In 1996, he began carving masks, developing techniques for both solid and mosaic-style masks.
