Obverse: identify the front

The national eagle and ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS identify the obverse. Banco de México supplies the two small reference photographs used here. They are credited official identification thumbnails and are not detailed authentication images; larger owned photographs remain a useful improvement.

Reverse: identify the back

Miguel Hidalgo’s profile appears with the DOS Y MEDIO PESOS denomination and a date. Match that exact denomination; the 5- and 10-peso Hidalgo coins have different specifications. The reference image represents the design, not proof of the strike year or authenticity of a coin in hand.

History and purpose

Banco de México describes the Hidalgo gold family as part of Mexico’s monetary history following the 1905 reform. The smaller 2½ peso belongs to that denomination family. This guide separates its small fine-gold content from the larger Hidalgo and Centenario coins rather than applying one peso specification to all sizes.

How to identify this variant

Read DOS Y MEDIO PESOS, compare the Hidalgo portrait and eagle, and check the nominal 15.5 mm diameter. The 2-peso coin has a different reverse and gold content. A legible date helps identify an issue, but additional research is needed before asserting whether a dated specimen is an original strike or restrike.

Understanding its metal content

The .900 alloy includes non-gold metal. Calculation uses Banco de México’s more precise .06028 troy-oz fine-weight reference. The independently published 2.0833 g gross mass is retained as a rounded reference. A rounded .0603 quotation from another catalog must not silently replace the official basis.

Dates, varieties and composition changes

The internal specification cross-check lists original dated issues in 1918–1948. That range is a catalog envelope, not a claim of uninterrupted annual production. Restrike production and the date stamped on a coin may differ; this initial guide does not certify an individual specimen’s production year or a restrike count.

Melt value versus collector value

Small gold content does not mean a coin has no collector interest. Date, condition, authenticity and provenance may affect evaluation. Preserve original surfaces, and separate uncertain pieces for review. This guide provides neither a grade nor historical sale prices.

Authenticity and condition

Use larger photographs of your actual coin and compare legends, diameter and nominal mass. The small official reference images cannot resolve tiny die details. Avoid relying on color alone or destructive tests. Seek professional review if the denomination, design or physical measurements do not agree.

Selling this coin

List the denomination as 2½ pesos, not 2 pesos, and record quantities and visible dates. Add photographs of both sides to the existing appraisal form. Company gold purchasing information remains separate from a theoretical melt figure and from any collector evaluation.

Sources and calculation methodology

Banco de México supplies the official fine content, alloy, diameter and design reference. Gross mass and the original date envelope are retained from an internal reference cross-check. Banco de México authorizes reproduction of its published information with source and site attribution. No current market price or restrike statistic has been invented.

Common questions

References

• Banco de México: Centenario gold family — identity; fineness .900; diameter 15.5 mm; design Hidalgo and eagle; official fine weight .06028 troy oz (checked 2026-10-09)

Issue-year references

• NGC: Hidalgo two-and-a-half-peso date list and restrikes

Content maintained by CashForCoins. Last substantive record update: 2026-10-09. Report a specification or attribution issue through our contact page.

Related coins

British Gold Sovereign — 1959 Elizabeth II

Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.

United Kingdom • 22-carat gold alloy

Issue years: 1959

Fine gold: 0.235400 troy oz

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