Mexican Gold Pesos
Six denominations, several unmistakable designs. Find the details that distinguish the small Dos Pesos, Hidalgo portraits, Azteca and Winged Victory Centenario.
Explore this guide
Sizes at a glanceThe six designs at a glanceOrigins of the Centenario familyThe 50 pesos CentenarioDates and official restrikesDenomination, gold content and earlier peso typesCare and choosing a peso bezelCommon questionsGlossarySources and research notesSizes at a glance
The Mexican gold coins commonly grouped as the Centenario family include 2, 2.5, 5, 10, 20 and 50 pesos. Their reverse designs make the group easy to explore: a wreath, portraits of Miguel Hidalgo, the Aztec Calendar and Winged Victory. [1] [2]
This guide covers those familiar twentieth-century types and their restrikes. Earlier Mexican gold pesos and modern Gold Libertads are separate issues. A peso denomination on its own is not enough to establish the coin’s size or composition.
Quick specifications
Gold content is measured in troy ounces. Throughout this guide, “oz” means troy ounces of fine gold, not the coin’s total weight.
| Gold content (troy oz) | Face denomination | Diameter | Total coin weight, approx. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.04823 oz | 2 pesos | 13.0 mm | 1.6666 g |
| 0.06028 oz | 2.5 pesos | 15.5 mm | 2.0833 g |
| 0.12057 oz | 5 pesos | 19.0 mm | 4.1666 g |
| 0.24113 oz | 10 pesos | 22.5 mm | 8.3333 g |
| 0.48227 oz | 20 pesos | 27.5 mm | 16.6666 g |
| 1.20565 oz | 50 pesos | 37.0 mm | 41.6666 g |
Diameter, purity and fine-gold content follow Banco de México; total weights follow NGC’s references for these types. All six are .900 fine. Small differences in the last displayed decimal reflect rounding. “Face denomination” identifies the historic coin type, not a claim that it is current spending money. The 1943 Centenario has a special inscription exception described below. [1] [3] [4]
Find your Mexican Gold Peso size
Photographs are enlarged for identification and are not shown at actual or relative size. Match the denomination, design and measured diameter. The three Hidalgo portraits require particular attention to their denomination.
The six designs at a glance
The 50 pesos Centenario shows Winged Victory with volcanoes behind her. The 20 pesos Azteca uses the Aztec Calendar, also known as the Sun Stone. Miguel Hidalgo appears on the 10, 5 and 2.5 pesos. The 2 pesos carries its denomination within a wreath. The national arms, showing an eagle and snake, occupy the obverse. [1] [2]
The reverse helps distinguish denominations at a glance, but the three Hidalgo portraits require a closer look. Read the value on the actual coin and compare its diameter. Similar artwork is not proof that two coins are the same size.
Origins of the Centenario family
The 10 pesos Hidalgo belongs to Mexico’s 1905 monetary reform. The 20 pesos Azteca followed in 1917, and the small 2 pesos was introduced in 1919. The 50 pesos Centenario debuted in 1921 to mark the centennial of Mexico’s independence. [1]
The family did not begin as six modern ounce fractions launched together. It brings related historical denominations into one useful reference group. That is why the gold quantities are less familiar than the simple 1 oz, 1/2 oz and 1/4 oz labels used by many later bullion programs.
The 50 pesos Centenario
At 37 mm across, the Centenario is the largest coin in this guide. Its 37.5 g fine-gold content equals approximately 1.20565 troy oz; its total mass is higher because of the alloy. The Winged Victory design is shared in broad theme with later Mexican coinage, so the full inscriptions and measurements remain important. [1] [4]
One issue deserves a closer look: the 1943 Centenario replaced the usual “50 PESOS” inscription with another fine-gold-weight inscription. The denomination returned in 1944. A genuine 1943 example can therefore look incomplete beside a familiar 1947-dated coin even though it belongs to the same Centenario series. [5]
Dates and official restrikes
A restrike is an official later production using an earlier date or design. For the 50 pesos, NGC documents later production carrying the 1947 date. The date visible on that coin is therefore not, by itself, proof that the particular piece was physically struck in 1947. [4]
The same caution belongs in a family inventory: transcribe the date as it appears, then distinguish a confirmed original issue from a later restrike only when evidence supports the attribution. Do not describe every earlier-looking date as rare, and do not call an official restrike a counterfeit merely because it was produced later.
Preserve receipts, original packaging and any certification information with the coin. Those records can help connect the object to a documented description without relying entirely on its photographed date.
Denomination, gold content and earlier peso types
A 20 pesos Azteca is not a half-ounce coin, and a 50 pesos Centenario contains more than one troy ounce of gold. Use the exact denomination when choosing a bezel instead of translating it into the nearest familiar bullion fraction. [1]
Earlier gold peso types require separate research. NGC lists nineteenth-century 5, 10 and 20 pesos with different weights and an .875 fineness, unlike the .900 family covered here. The shared denomination does not make those earlier coins interchangeable with the later types. [3]
If the design does not match the illustrations, stop at identification before shopping by diameter. A close measurement alone cannot resolve a different historical issue.
Care and choosing a peso bezel
Keep the coin’s original surfaces intact. Handle it at the edges and avoid polishing or abrasive cleaning. [6]
Choose the Mexican peso denomination first, then compare bezel styles within that size. Banco de México lists the 10 pesos at 22.5 mm; a jewelry listing may use a nearby nominal size. Check that the product expressly names the Mexican 10 pesos coin rather than choosing solely from a rounded measurement.
Our bezel selection is separate from the coin itself. Images showing a mounted coin illustrate the result; the coin is not included. For an older or collectible example, consider its condition and significance before mounting, and use a jeweler when the fit or installation is uncertain.
Common questions
Are all Mexican gold pesos the same purity?
The six twentieth-century types in this table are .900 fine. Earlier peso types can differ, so the statement should not be extended to every Mexican gold coin. [1] [3]
Is the 20 pesos Aztec Calendar coin a Gold Libertad?
No. Identify it as the 20 pesos Azteca. The Libertad is a separate series and needs its own specifications.
Why does a 1943 Centenario lack the usual 50 pesos inscription?
That issue used the fine-gold-weight inscription in its place. The normal denomination returned in 1944. [5]
Can a 1947-dated Centenario have been made later?
Yes. Official restrikes bearing 1947 are documented. The date alone does not establish the production year of a particular example. [4]
Glossary
- Centenario
- The 50 pesos coin, and the name used for the broader family.
- Azteca
- The 20 pesos gold coin with the calendar reverse.
- Hidalgo
- The name associated with the Miguel Hidalgo gold denominations.
- Restrike
- An official later striking using an earlier date or design.
Sources and research notes
[1] Banco de México, Centenario gold family: designs, gold content and diameters
[2] Banco de México, Precious Metals catalog: Centenario-family illustrations and specifications
[3] NGC, World Gold Coin reference table: total weights and earlier Mexican types
[4] NGC, Mexico 50 Pesos KM 481: specifications and 1947-dated restrikes
[5] PCGS, Gold Bullion Spotlight: Mexico Centenario Coins
[6] U.S. Mint, Caring for Your Coin Collection
The six-size table intentionally excludes nineteenth-century peso standards and the Libertad series. Original dates and later restrikes are distinguished. Coin face values are described as historical denominations.
Related coin guides
Research and image captions reviewed November 4, 2026.