Mexican 50 Pesos Gold

Specifications

Weight

1.2057 oz

Purity

.9

Mint

Mexican Mint

Country

Mexico

First struck

1921

About the Mexican 50 Pesos Gold

The Mexican 50 Pesos gold coin, often called the Centenario, was first struck in 1921 to mark the centennial of Mexican independence. Casa de Moneda de México, the oldest mint in the Americas, has produced it on and off ever since. It is one of the heaviest sovereign gold coins you can buy through a mainstream dealer.

Each coin contains 1.2057 troy ounces of gold. That is the actual gold weight. The coin itself weighs more, because the alloy is .900 fine, meaning 90% gold and 10% copper. The copper gives it that warm, slightly orange tint and makes it tougher than a pure .9999 coin like the Maple Leaf.

The obverse shows the winged Victory of the Angel of Independence monument from Mexico City, with Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, the two volcanoes, in the background. The reverse carries the Mexican coat of arms, the eagle on a cactus eating a snake. The design has barely changed in over a century.

Most 50 Pesos coins on the secondary market are dated 1947, because Mexico restruck large quantities of that date as bullion well into the 1970s. So when you buy one, you are usually buying a restrike, not a 1921 original. Originals carry numismatic premiums. Restrikes trade close to spot.

The coin is recognized worldwide and easy to resell, but it is not as liquid in the US as an Eagle or Buffalo. Premiums are usually low, often among the cheapest ways to buy a full ounce-plus of gold in coin form. Some buyers prefer bars at this size, but a coin is harder to counterfeit convincingly and easier to sell to a private buyer.

If you are stacking by the ounce and you do not need year-specific dates or government-backed bullion programs, the 50 Pesos is one of the best values in physical gold.