Mexico • 10 centavos

Mexican Historical .903 Silver 10 Centavos

A matching historical Mexican 10 centavos contains 0.0786 reference fine silver troy ounce using the designated reference melt table. The included annual years span 1864–1905. Individual mints have their own issue years and gaps, listed below. Match denomination, exact date, design, mint and nominal 2.7073 g mass before selecting this reference standard.

1867 Mexican Historical .903 Silver 10 Centavos obverse: Republican eagle and REPUBLICA MEXICANA
Obverse — Genuine representative 1867 issue; other dated designs, alloys and finishes require attribution.
Unknown photographer; Inri releasing account / Wikimedia Commons / CC0 1.0; Split original joined photograph retaining complete rim; WebP conversion only; no enlargement, retouching or synthetic reconstruction · Image source · CC0 1.0
1867 Mexican Historical .903 Silver 10 Centavos reverse: Radiant Liberty cap, 10 CENTAVOS and1867
Reverse — Genuine representative 1867 issue; other dated designs, alloys and finishes require attribution.
Unknown photographer; Inri releasing account / Wikimedia Commons / CC0 1.0; Split original joined photograph retaining complete rim; WebP conversion only; no enlargement, retouching or synthetic reconstruction · Image source · CC0 1.0

When a fresh spot bid is available, melt values use fine-metal content × spot bid. CashForCoins guide buying offers use the separately configured percentage for each metal. Selected rare/numismatic coins require an appraisal. Dollar amounts remain unavailable when a fresh quote or buying percentage is missing.

Verified coin specifications

Country
Mexico
Face denomination
10 centavos
Composition
Designated .903 silver reference; dated precision differences disclosed
Gross weight (grams)
2.7073
Fineness
0.903
Fine-metal weight (troy oz)
0.0786
Mint
Historical Mexican mints; consult the dated type table
Restrikes
Patterns, regional issues, tokens, counterfeits and later replicas excluded
Issue years
1864–1905

Exact reviewed annual face/issue years for the assigned standard, retaining mint and design gaps. Overdate undernumerals and commemorative life dates do not add annual issues. Separate alloys, weights, designs and finish availability are explained in the guide.

Source precision
The designated reference World Silver melt reference supplies 2.7073 g/.903/.0786 fine silver troy ounce. Imperial KM 386 and 386.1 repeat that nominal mass. Most inspected Republican types give 2.7070 g/.9030/.0786, while Mexico City KM 403.7 and Zacatecas KM 404.3 label .9020/.0785. The differing labels are disclosed without assuming they demonstrate a physical alloy change or silently replacing the designated calculation. The inspected reference tables do not supply a universal diameter or thickness; neither is fabricated for the entire historical family.

Calculate this coin’s metal content

One coin contains 0.0786 troy oz of fine silver.

Formula: specified fine-metal troy ounces × quantity. Dollar melt value additionally requires an approved current metal price.

Obverse: identify the front

The Republican Mexico City KM 402 type of 1867–1868 has the eagle and snake with REPUBLICA MEXICANA. Earlier Imperial KM 386 and 386.1 types instead have a crowned facing eagle with IMPERIO MEXICANO. The national emblem and surrounding legend distinguish these designs; one Republican coin does not illustrate the Imperial design.

Reverse: identify the back

The 1867–1868 Mexico City KM 402 reverse has a radiant Liberty cap. Its denomination, date and mint details distinguish it from the similarly styled reales. The Imperial types instead place their value and date within a wreath. Later Republican ten-centavo types have their own denomination-and-date designs. Match the complete dated type rather than treating every historical reverse as identical.

History and purpose

The included research spans 1864–1866 Imperial types, 1867–1868 transitional Republican KM 402, the longer KM 403 mint families, and the redesigned 1898–1905 KM 404 families. Later ten-centavo standards include .800 and .720 silver coins with different gross masses and fine silver amounts. The overlapping denomination does not make them interchangeable. Patterns and earlier transitional issues outside the inspected type set are not silently assigned.

How to identify this variant

Start with the 10 centavo denomination, complete date and the exact mint-specific design. A country emblem or a year within a broad heading cannot establish silver content by itself. The nominal 2.7073 g standard is a reference for a correctly attributed coin, not an authentication tolerance. Wear, clipping and damage can change measured mass. Patterns, tokens, regional issues and uncertain copies need separate identification rather than being forced into this calculator.

Understanding its metal content

The calculator applies 0.0786 fine silver troy ounce to each matching coin. Three pieces contribute 8.1219 nominal gross grams and 0.2358 reference fine silver troy ounce. Gross alloy mass is not pure silver mass; a troy ounce also differs from an avoirdupois ounce. Dollar melt values require a current approved market-price feed. Missing prices are not represented as zero, and a metal calculation is not a collector valuation or buying offer.

Dates, varieties and composition changes

Confirmed included annual years are 1864–1905 overall, formed from observed dated rows across the types below. This is not a claim that every mint issued a coin each year. Empire KM 386 and 386.1, Republican KM 402, the inspected KM 403 mint types, and KM 404, 404.2 and 404.3 have independent mint/date runs. The Hermosillo KM 403.6, Oaxaca KM 403.8 and Guanajuato KM 404.1 catalog identities are documented externally; their annual chronology below is independently cataloged by Numista. Each annual list below comes from observed dated reference rows; an overdate is counted under its visible issue year. Mint and assayer overpunched letters describe die varieties without adding a different annual year.

The reference dated type / mintActual annual yearsDated reference specification
KM 386 / G Imperial1864, 1865Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 2.7073 g ASW: 0.0786 oz
KM 386.1 / Mo Imperial1864, 1866Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 2.7073 g ASW: 0.0786 oz
KM 402 / Mo Republican1867, 1868Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 2.7070 g ASW: 0.0786 oz
KM 403.1 / Ca / CH1871, 1873, 1874, 1880, 1883, 1884, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 2.7070 g ASW: 0.0786 oz
KM 403.10 / Zs1870, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 2.7070 g ASW: 0.0786 oz
KM 403.2 / Cn1873, 1881, 1882, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1894, 1895, 1896Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 2.7070 g ASW: 0.0786 oz
KM 403.3 / Do1878, 1884, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 2.7070 g ASW: 0.0786 oz
KM 403.4 / Ga1871, 1873, 1874, 1877, 1881, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 2.7070 g ASW: 0.0786 oz
KM 403.5 / Go1869, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896, 1897Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 2.7070 g ASW: 0.0786 oz
KM 403.7 / Mo1869, 1870, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896, 1897Fineness: 0.9020 Weight: 2.7070 g ASW: 0.0785 oz
KM 403.9 / Pi1870, 1871, 1872, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1880, 1881, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 2.7070 g ASW: 0.0786 oz
KM 404 / Cn1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 2.7070 g ASW: 0.0786 oz
KM 404.2 / Mo1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 2.7070 g ASW: 0.0786 oz
KM 404.3 / Zs1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905Fineness: 0.9020 Weight: 2.7070 g ASW: 0.0785 oz
KM 403 / As1874, 1875, 1876, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 2.7070 g ASW: 0.0786 oz

Three additional mint runs are independently documented in Numista’s actual annual rows as supplemental chronology: Hermosillo KM 403.6 has 1874, 1876 and 1878–1893; Oaxaca KM 403.8 has 1889–1890; Guanajuato KM 404.1 has 1898–1900. The following supplemental table establishes chronology only and does not replace the designated reference calculation.

Supplemental mint/typeObserved annual yearsScope
KM 403.6 / Ho1874, 1876, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893Numista chronology; chronology only; the reference melt reference unchanged
KM 403.8 / Oa1889, 1890Numista chronology; chronology only; the reference melt reference unchanged
KM 404.1 / Go1898, 1899, 1900Numista chronology; chronology only; the reference melt reference unchanged

Additional primary auction records document Imperial San Luis Potosí KM 386.2 dated 1864, Imperial Zacatecas KM 386.3 dated 1865, and Republican San Luis Potosí KM 402.1 dated 1868 and 1869. The 1869/7 overdate belongs to the 1869 annual issue. A catalog observation of a possible 1868/7 should retain that qualification. These supplemental mint dates add detail to the existing chronology without changing the designated metal reference.

Supplemental type / mintActual annual yearsChronology source
KM 386.2 / P, Imperial1864Briggs & Bustos original auction catalog; PCGS corroboration
KM 386.3 / Z, Imperial1865Heritage original dated lot
KM 402.1 / P, Republican1868, 1869Stack’s Bowers and Heritage original auction catalogs

Melt value versus collector value

Date, mint, assayer, overdate, die pairing, condition and provenance can affect collector interest separately from fine silver content. Keep scarce-looking or unusual pieces available for individual review. The guide does not infer a grade, rarity or value from a photograph. Avoid polishing or cleaning and preserve certification, original holders and any established attribution.

Authenticity and condition

A representative 1867 Republican coin illustrates one dated type. It cannot authenticate another specimen or demonstrate every mint, overdate or finish in this historical family. Compare complete designs, lettering and rims, and add edge photographs and measured mass where possible. A cast, plated, altered-date or regional piece requires individual attribution.

Selling this coin

Sort 10 centavos coins by complete date, design and nominal metal standard before entering quantities. Send clear photographs of both sides, plus edge photographs and measured weight where available, when requesting a CashForCoins appraisal. Preserve possible overdates and unusual die details for individual review. An offer can depend on authenticity, condition and collector demand alongside metal content. The reference melt calculation is an educational estimate.

Sources and calculation methodology

The designated reference World Silver melt reference supplies 2.7073 g/.903/.0786 fine silver troy ounce. Imperial KM 386 and 386.1 repeat that nominal mass. Most inspected Republican types give 2.7070 g/.9030/.0786, while Mexico City KM 403.7 and Zacatecas KM 404.3 label .9020/.0785. The differing labels are disclosed without assuming they demonstrate a physical alloy change or silently replacing the designated calculation. The inspected reference tables do not supply a universal diameter or thickness; neither is fabricated for the entire historical family. Actual annual years come from dated catalog rows rather than filling every year in a broad series heading. Overdates are counted under the visible issue year. The fine-silver reference applies to a correctly attributed coin; it does not establish authenticity, grade or collector value.

The independently licensed genuine faces retain their complete rims. A joined source photograph is split into its actual obverse and reverse with WebP conversion only; no enlargement, retouching or synthetic reconstruction is used. It does not assay another specimen.

Common questions

Which years are included for these 10 centavos?1864–1905. Consult the mint-specific table because individual mints have different gaps and end dates.
How much silver is in three matching coins?0.2358 reference fine silver troy ounce. Nominal gross mass totals 8.1219 g; authentication and collector value are separate.
Why do some dated reference specifications differ?The guide discloses the exact source precision differences and retains the designated melt calculation. Small numerical differences alone do not establish a separate physical alloy issue. Missing dimensions are left unspecified.

References

Issue-year references

Content maintained by CashForCoins. Last substantive record update: 2026-10-12. Report a specification or attribution issue through our contact page.

Related coins

1909 Mexican silver 10 centavos obverse — national arms and ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS legend

Mexican .800 Silver Ten Centavos — 2.5 g Standard

Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.

Mexico • 80% silver; remaining alloy metals not independently verified

Issue years: 1905–1907, 1909–1914

Fine silver: 0.064300 troy oz

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