Top 19 Most Valuable Mexican Coins Worth Money (2024)

Coins can be pretty cool. If you’ve ever handled one that looks old – or even a foreign piece of currency, you know that excited flush that fills your veins. It’s even better when you find one that belonged to your grandpa and realize it’s worth a fortune! But how do you know your coins are profitable? Let’s look at sales lists and tips for the most valuable Mexican coins.

Most Valuable Mexican Coins

1. 1921 Mexican Gold 50 Pesos NGC MS-61, 1^st Year Coin, Tough Date, 1.2oz Pure Gold

A lot of our grandparents and great-grandparents collected coins. But they probably did it for practical reasons. Barter trade was still common, and coins were a convenient way to stock up on precious metals. You could always melt them down when you needed some quick cash.

• Year: 1921
• Type: 50 Pesos
• Value: $4,101

But many of today’s collectors consider it an investment. The metal in those old coins (plus their historical significance) means they’re likely to appreciate in value. So you may plan to hold onto it, resell it in your lifetime, or leave it as a legacy for your own kids and grandkids.

2. X027 Lot of 2 Mexican 50 Pesos coin, Coyolxauhqui, 1982

If you plan to sell coins, consider waiting for big anniversaries like 25, 50, 75, or 100 years after the coin was minted. There’ll be more market interest around those dates. But it means you’ll need to do a lot of research and authenticate the period when your booty was coined.

• Year: 1982
• Type: 50 Pesos
• Value: $3,000

You can also try watching the prices of precious metals. When the price of gold is high, you can focus on moving those coins. And when silver shoots up, sift through your sterling stack and see if you have anything worth listing. Keep in touch with coin dealers too – better rates!

3. Mexican Gold Centenario 50 Pesos Coin 1821, 1947, 37.5 Grams Pure Gold

For resellers that plan to specialize in the most valuable Mexican coins, try brushing up your Spanish. This can be useful for looking through reference texts. More importantly, it can help you read the writing on the coin. That could be the difference between a treasure and a fake!

• Year: 1947
• Type: 50 Pesos
• Value: $3,150

Considering you may be dealing with Spanish speakers, it can be a crucial tool when you’re haggling over prices at a garage sale or curio shop. If you venture into Mexico as part of your reselling adventures, being familiar with the language can build camaraderie for better deals.

4. Libertad – Mexico – 2019 1 oz Proof Gold Coin in Capsule

You probably already know this, but numismatists are people who study and collect coins. And some take their craft super seriously! So learn to distinguish casual coin buyers from academics and experts. It’ll keep you from accidentally offending high-end customers.

• Year: 2019
• Type: Libertad
• Value: $3999.95

It will also guide you on how to talk about your coin and what features to highlight. Casual collectors might be wowed by stories and anecdotes about the coin and the family that owned it. But professionals want historical details, dates, mint specifications, and even a certificate.

5. 1905 – Mexican Type Set Coins

One of the hubs for trading Mexican coins is the US Mexican Numismatic Association, and you can find tons of information on their website, usmex.org. If you plan to go deep in this reselling space, it may be worth joining the group. Or at least subscribing to their journals.

• Year: 1905 to 1960
• Type: Mixed Set
• Value: $2,150

Their annual conventions are worth checking out as well. You can learn a lot about the sector and make important networking connections. Even if you don’t find buyers, fellow members can connect you with high-value individuals who will pay more than your customers on eBay.

6. 1959 Mexican Veinte Pesos – Superb GEM BU GOLD Coin – PQ!

Fun fact – did you know Mexican coins could be used in the US as legal tender? Well, not today, but back in the old days. Mexicans had been minting coins for two or three hundred years before we began, so early American settlers routinely used Mexican coins for trade.

• Year: 1959
• Type: Veinte Pesos (20 Pesos)
• Value: $1,080

This means seasoned collectors know Mexican coins almost as well as ours. You don’t have to become an expert, but if you’re working with these collectors (and you want to because they pay higher rates!) then you should learn as much about the coins as you can. Try to keep up!

7. Mexican Coin Set Palacios

One of the reasons Mexican coins are so popular is their melt value. Their earliest coins – both before and after Spanish colonization – were minted from pure gold or silver. Later, after 1905, coins only contained 50% or less precious metal, so their melt value dropped.

• Year: 2019
• Type: Mixed Set
• Value: $1,300

But coin collectors still love these coins for their variety and beauty. The most valuable Mexican coins are the silver reales and gold escudos from those colonial days particularly coins minted in the 1820s. One gold escudo was the equivalent of sixteen silver reales.

8. Mexican coins $10-(2)-$5-2 pesos gold 22k (4)Coins Lot

While the country typically used escudos and reales, they did have a local currency called the peso. One peso was worth eight reales. Today, Mexicans still use pesos, and one peso is worth a hundred centavos. But contemporary coins in circulation are only worth face value.

• Year: Mixed
• Type: Mixed (4)
• Value: $1,261

Some older centavos from 1914 were round and made of lead. Others from 1915 were copper squares. These are far more valuable than the pesos you’d give to your neighborhood store clerk in Guadalajara. And you may be amused to note their coins focus on eagles as well!

9. Libertad – Mexico – 2021 1 Oz Reverse Proof Gold Coin in Capsule

Because we think of bald eagles as an American thing, we assume the Mexicans copied our coins! But as we said before, they were producing currency at least three centuries before we were. So if anything, it was us looking over their numismatists’ shoulders and taking notes!

• Year: 2021
• Type: Reverse Proof Libertad
• Value: $3,499

Also, consider that Mexico is our southern neighbor. We share our land mass, climate, and regional geography. So there are probably as many eagles across the border as we have over here! But the eagles on Mexican coins are typically depicted with a snake in their beaks.

10. 1959 20 PESOS MEXICAN GOLD COIN Pristine Condition

Antique American coins can be valuable, but they come in a limited number of variations. So you focus on the years where fewer coins were produced because that rarity increases value. But with Mexican coins, you’ll see so many different kinds that it helps to learn the top ones.

• Year: 1959
• Type: 20 Pesos
• Value: $1,150

It’s not a deal-breaker though. If you’re at a coin expo or a goodwill bin, you can always pick a coin and scan it with your smartphone. You’ll find dozens if not hundreds of hits that will tell you all about the coin, including its resale value. But it’s still useful to memorize a few.

11. 1945 Gold 2 Peso Mexican Dos Pesos Coin

In times of recession, inflation, or low liquidity, people like to store their cash in coins. But not just any coin – they mostly buy bullion. These official government coins are appraised at their melt value, not their face value. So the coins are worth their weight in precious metal.

• Year: 1945
• Type: 2 Pesos
• Value: $1,000

This is why enthusiasts of Mexican coins are interested in Libertads – the Mexican bullion denomination. Libertads are unique because they don’t have a denomination stamped on them. Essentially, they have no face value. Instead, these coins have the word ‘onza’ on them.

12. 2021 8.9 Oz PROOF Silver MEXICAN LIBERTAD 7 Coin Set WITH COA

Only two countries (in the whole world!) issue bullion that has ‘no face value’. One is Mexico, and the other is South Africa. Both the South African Krugerrand and the Mexican Libertad can be traded for their current melt value. You can cash the coin anywhere at market rates.

• Year: 2021
• Type: Libertad
• Value: $1,101

This essentially means you can buy a Kruggerand or Libertard in the same way you can buy a bar of gold or silver. It’s why many investors prefer them as physical stores of precious metal. They’re recognized globally, not just within their borders, so it’s an easy asset to liquidate.

13. 2013 Mexico Mexican 5 Coin Proof Gold Libertad Set NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo w/COA LE

Let’s talk about this a little more. First, let’s acknowledge that Mexico’s state mint opened in 1535. So they’re among the most experienced coiners on this side of the world. Their oldest currency gained global recognition. Now let’s zoom into their gold and silver bullion coins.

• Year: 2013
• Type: Proof Set
• Value: $8,149.94

Libertad means liberty. (And no, it has nothing to do with Club Libertad, which is a top-three soccer team from Paraguay!) The Libertad coin first appeared in 1981, and the word onza is a pact from the Central Bank that they will cash these coins for you at the current market rate.

14. Caballito Silver Peso Coin Complete Set

Chances are you browsed YouTube to get an idea of which Mexican coins sell well. So even if you haven’t personally handled a coin, you know many of them have an angel on the obverse (technical term for heads) and an eagle with a snake on the reverse (technical name for tails).

• Year: 1910 to 1914
• Type: Mixed Set
• Value: $7,700

You may have assumed it was some kind of heavenly guardian because the catholic faith dominates Mexico. But she’s known as Winged Liberty, and she’s their Statue of Liberty. Locals call her El Ángel, Angel of Independence. Antonio Rivas Mercado built her in 1910.

15. 1600s Gold 4 Escudos Cob Pcgs Au53 Philip Iii Sevilla Spain Doubloon Colonial

What about the snake-eating eagle on the back? It’s the national symbol of Mexico, just like our bald one. These two characters appear on both circulated coins and bullion. In fact, for first-time investors in precious metals, Libertads and Kruggerands make a great entry point.

• Year: 1600s
• Type: Colonial
• Value: $4,999

At one time, 90% of the world’s gold bullion was traded in form of Krugerrands. But their reputation was tainted by protests against apartheid, so lots of liberal-minded types see the Libertad as a more ethical option. And this widens your market for valuable Mexican coins.

16. 2021 Mexico Libertad 5 Coin Gold Proof set 1 oz 1/2 1/4 1/10 1/20 (1.9oz)

To explain this further, the most valuable Mexican coins appeal to two consumer segments. The obvious one is the numismatists that routinely attend coin shows. The second is younger buyers looking to invest in precious metals. Craft your listing according to your target buyer.

• Year: 2021
• Type: Libertad
• Value: $6,499.99

The best way to trade Libertads is to watch top metals. They’re driven by the market so if you have any in store, wait until the gold (or silver) price is at its highest, then list your bullion. It helps to have a network of coin experts who can tell you when high-end buyers are shopping.

17. 1914 Mexico Durango Peso. Muera Huerta. PCGS AU53. Excellent Coin, Great Strike!

Older Mexican coins are easy to spot. You may not know exactly what their age or value is, but you can tell by the unusual shapes and writings that the coins are worth something. This can be a tougher trick with new coins. Especially the ones that resemble circulated coins.

• Year: 1914
• Type: Durango
• Value: $4,000

This is where appraisers (and the friendly neighborhood numismatist) can help. You can also check coin catalogs to see how many coins were minted that year. If they were on the lower side, the rarity of the coin makes it a profitable purchase. Hold the sides, not the face!

18. 2013 100 Pesos – Herencia Numismatica El Caballito ¡¡ PF-70 ¡¡- Only 100 Coins

Can you resell coins made into jewelry? Sometimes. If that bullion is your most precious possession, you may want to wear it around your neck as a medallion. But for most buyers, the coin goes in a slab or display case where it can accumulate value while you show it off.

• Year: 2013
• Type: 100 Pesos
• Value: $4,000

So a coin with a hole or a chain may be seen as less desirable unless it has sentimental value. Besides, apart from celebrities, entertainers, socialites, sponsored influencers, and wealthy public figures, few people want to walk with several thousand dollars hanging on their chest.

19. 1829 EoMo-LF Mexico First Republic 8 Escudos Gold Coin NGC XF 40 KM 383.4

Here’s our final word on trading the most valuable Mexican coins – patience. It might take years (or even decades) for your coin to reach its profit peak. Don’t rush to sell it at $500 when it could later earn you $5 million! But how should you pass the time as you wait?

• Year: 1829
• Type: 8 Escudos
• Value: $11,000

Hang around with ‘coin people’. Not only will you learn more about the sector, but they can introduce you to private collectors. And while we love seeing those ching-ching signs on eBay, it’s private collections where the real money is at, pun intended. They’ll pay 6 figures!

Tips for Reselling the Most Valuable Mexican Coins

Whether it was in your change from a vacation or in grandpa’s treasure chest, try these tips:

• Consider selling to silver stackers – you can profit from low-quality batches.
• Don’t wash the coins! They’ll look shinier, but it may lower your price.
• Have your coins appraised. It’s harder to spot the value of foreign coins.
• Study overseas coin markets – your buyers are more likely to be outside the US.
• Since you’re likely to be shipping abroad, be careful with delivery rates and taxes!

Do you have advice on finding the most valuable Mexican coins? Tell us in the comments!