Mexico • 5 centavos

Mexican Historical Silver Five Centavos

A matching historical Mexican silver five centavos contributes .0393 reference fine silver troy ounce. Inspected ordinary Imperial and Republic types supply actual issue years 1863–1881 and 1886–1905, with no 1882–1885 annual rows. The genuine paired photographs show the 1867 Mexico City radiant-cap design. Identify the complete denomination, date, design and mint attribution before combining pieces; later nickel and bronze five centavos require a different standard.

1867 Mexican silver five centavos obverse — Mexican national arms and REPUBLICA MEXICANA legend — **Obverse** — Genuine1867 KM397 Republic radiant-cap specimen; Imperial and later Republic designs differ.
Photographer unspecified; Inri / Wikimedia Commons / CC0 1.0; Split observed960px paired photograph; complete-rim margin crop and WebP conversion; no enlargement, retouching or synthetic reconstruction · Image source · CC0 1.0

1867 Mexican silver five centavos reverse — radiant Liberty cap, five-centavo value and1867 date — **Reverse** — Genuine1867 KM397 Republic radiant-cap specimen; Imperial and later Republic designs differ.
Photographer unspecified; Inri / Wikimedia Commons / CC0 1.0; Split observed960px paired photograph; complete-rim margin crop and WebP conversion; 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: 5 centavos
Composition: Designated .903 silver reference; later dated tables label .9027
Gross weight (grams): 1.3537
Fineness: 0.903
Fine-metal weight (troy oz): 0.0393
Mint: Multiple historical mints; consult the dated type
Restrikes: Patterns, tokens and later replicas excluded
Issue years: 1863–1881, 1886–1905
Thirty-nine actual years from25 inspected dated records:1863–1881 and1886–1905. No1882–1885 rows. Mint/design combinations vary; Imperial and Republic designs differ. Reference precision1.3537/1.3530g and .9030/.9027 is disclosed without inferring an alloy change; patterns excluded.
Source precision: The designated reference melt group supplies1.3537g/.903/.0393 fine silver troy ounce. Imperial dated types give1.3537g/.9030; Republic tables give1.3530g, with .9030 through KM398 and .9027 in KM400. These reference-precision differences are disclosed; no actual alloy change is inferred solely from the labels. All inspected dated types retain .0393oz ASW. Diameter is not a single family-wide value: KM400 Cn lists14mm and KM400.2 Mo lists15mm; the inspected1867 KM397 table does not supply diameter. No diameter, thickness or alloy remainder is invented for that specimen.

Calculate this coin’s metal content

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

Obverse: identify the front

The pictured 1867 obverse carries the Mexican eagle-and-snake national arms, a wreath below and REPUBLICA MEXICANA around the rim. It is the Republic KM 397 design. Imperial coins use a crowned eagle and different political legend; the pictured national-arms face does not depict that Imperial design. Retain full inscriptions and the rim when taking identification photographs.

Reverse: identify the back

The genuine 1867 reverse shows a radiant Liberty cap, the five-centavo value and visible 1867 date with mint attribution below. This differs from later five-centavo reverses with a numeral inside a partial wreath. The photograph represents one included design only; do not identify every dated variety from this radiant-cap specimen.

History and purpose

The reference records four Maximilian mint types in 1864–1866, early Republic value-with-wreath and radiant-cap types, later KM 398 mint families and KM 400 issues. The inspected KM 396.1 annual table adds 1863 beyond the original broad 1864 opening label. The assigned URL remains unchanged. A denomination is not a composition test: the separate nickel-era and later bronze issues are excluded.

How to identify this variant

Read both full faces, five-centavo denomination, complete date, mintmark and assayer initials. Imperial crowned eagle, Republic radiant cap and numeral-with-partial-wreath reverses need type-specific attribution. Nominal mass can differ slightly between reference tables; compare with the table below rather than imposing one diameter on all mints. No diameter is assigned to the 1867 specimen because its inspected reference type omits that field. A scale or magnet alone cannot assay silver or establish authenticity.

Understanding its metal content

The calculator preserves the designated 1.3537g gross mass, .903 fineness and .0393 rounded fine silver troy ounce per matching coin. Three matching coins contribute 4.0611 nominal gross grams and .1179 reference fine silver troy ounce. Gross alloy mass is not pure-silver mass; troy and avoirdupois ounces differ. The dated-table precision differences are visible below. Dollar melt pricing remains unavailable until an approved current quote exists; an unavailable price is not displayed as $0.

Dates, varieties and composition changes

Actual family years are 1863–1881 and 1886–1905. This union of specific annual rows does not promise every mint/design in every year. An overdate such as 1867/3 denotes a 1867 issue, not an additional 1863 issue of that design. Keep Imperial G/M/P/Z types, Republic Ca/P, KM 398 As/Ch/Cn/Do/Ga/Go/Ho/Mo/Oa/Pi/Zs families and KM 400 mint variants distinct. Tables record overdates, assayer changes, inverted numerals, date-width changes and some mule die combinations; these require specimen attribution. Patterns designated Pn are excluded.

Inspected dated reference types: actual years and reference specifications
Dated type	Actual issue years	Reference specification
385	1864, 1865, 1866	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 1.3537g ASW: 0.0393oz
385.1	1864, 1866	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 1.3537g ASW: 0.0393oz
385.2	1864	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 1.3537g ASW: 0.0393oz
385.3	1865	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 1.3537g ASW: 0.0393oz
396.1	1863	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 1.3530g ASW: 0.0393oz
397	1867, 1868	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 1.3530g ASW: 0.0393oz
396	1868, 1869, 1870	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 1.3530g ASW: 0.0393oz
397.1	1868, 1869	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 1.3530g ASW: 0.0393oz
398	1874, 1875, 1876, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1895	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 1.3530g ASW: 0.0393oz
398.1	1871, 1873, 1874, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 1.3530g ASW: 0.0393oz
398.10	1870, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896, 1897	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 1.3530g ASW: 0.0393oz
398.2	1871, 1873, 1874, 1876, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1894, 1896, 1897	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 1.3530g ASW: 0.0393oz
398.3	1874, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1881, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1894	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 1.3530g ASW: 0.0393oz
398.4	1877, 1881, 1886, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 1.3530g ASW: 0.0393oz
398.5	1869, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1896, 1897	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 1.3530g ASW: 0.0393oz
398.6	1874, 1878, 1880, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1893, 1894	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 1.3530g ASW: 0.0393oz
398.7	1869, 1870, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896, 1897	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 1.3530g ASW: 0.0393oz
398.8	1890	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 1.3530g ASW: 0.0393oz
398.9	1869, 1870, 1872, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9030 Weight: 1.3530g ASW: 0.0393oz
400	1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9027 Weight: 1.3530g ASW: 0.0393oz Diameter: 14mm
400.1	1898, 1899, 1900	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9027 Weight: 1.3530g ASW: 0.0393oz
400.2	1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9027 Weight: 1.3530g ASW: 0.0393oz Diameter: 15mm
400.3	1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9027 Weight: 1.3530g ASW: 0.0393oz
400	1903, 1904	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9027 Weight: 1.3530g ASW: 0.0393oz Diameter: 14mm
400.2	1904	Composition: Silver Fineness: 0.9027 Weight: 1.3530g ASW: 0.0393oz Diameter: 15mm

Melt value versus collector value

Date, mint, assayer, overdate, mule dies and condition can affect collector interest independently of nominal silver content. The calculator supplies metal quantity rather than rarity, grade or market demand. Preserve original surfaces, provenance and trustworthy certification. Avoid cleaning or treating a worn date as a common variety before examining both faces.

Authenticity and condition

The genuine CC 0 photograph documents one 1867 coin, not every Imperial or Republic type. It does not certify another specimen, assay alloy, prove a finish or establish an unseen edge. Keep complete obverse, reverse and edge photographs with measured mass and diameter where possible. Cast copies, plated pieces, mismatched designs, patterns and uncertain mint attributions require separate investigation.

Selling this coin

Separate historical silver five centavos from nickel, bronze, tokens and uncertain pieces. Sort by actual dated design and mint attribution before entering quantities. Preserve suspected overdates or mule varieties for individual review. CashForCoins’ photo-appraisal link carries the chosen quantity into the existing enquiry form. Collector demand, condition and authentication can affect an offer; the educational calculation is not a purchase bid.

Sources and calculation methodology

The designated reference melt group supplies 1.3537g/.903/.0393 fine silver troy ounce. Imperial dated types give 1.3537g/.9030; Republic tables give 1.3530g, with .9030 through KM 398 and .9027 in KM 400. These reference-precision differences are disclosed; no actual alloy change is inferred solely from the labels. All inspected dated types retain .0393oz ASW. Diameter is not a single family-wide value: KM 400 Cn lists 14mm and KM 400.2 Mo lists 15mm; the inspected 1867 KM 397 table does not supply diameter. No diameter, thickness or alloy remainder is invented for that specimen. Specific annual rows from 25 inspected reference dated records supply the issue list and mint distinctions. No reference valuation or mintage table is reproduced. The 1867 paired photograph has an independent copyright-holder CC 0 dedication by the releasing account Inri; its page leaves the photographer unspecified. The observed 960px photograph is split into complete faces using margin cropping and WebP conversion, without enlargement, retouching or synthetic reconstruction.

Common questions

Which years are included in the historical silver five-centavo guide?

The inspected dated annual tables supply1863–1881 and1886–1905. Individual mints and designs have narrower issue lists; no1882–1885 annual rows are filled from a broad heading.

How much silver is in three matching five-centavo coins?

Three matching coins contribute .1179 reference fine silver troy ounce and4.0611 designated nominal gross grams. Collector value and authenticity require separate evaluation.

Do all historical five centavos have the same diameter and design?

No. The family includes Imperial and Republic designs; inspected later Cn and Mo tables list14mm and15mm respectively. The1867 KM397 table omits diameter, so this guide does not invent a measurement for that specimen.

References

NGC designated World Silver Coin Melt Values — designated weight; fineness; reference silver ounces; group envelope (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico EMPIRE OF MAXIMILIAN 5 Centavos KM# 385 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico EMPIRE OF MAXIMILIAN 5 Centavos KM# 385.1 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico EMPIRE OF MAXIMILIAN 5 Centavos KM# 385.2 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico EMPIRE OF MAXIMILIAN 5 Centavos KM# 385.3 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico SECOND REPUBLIC 5 Centavos KM# 396.1 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico SECOND REPUBLIC 5 Centavos KM# 397 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico SECOND REPUBLIC 5 Centavos KM# 396 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico SECOND REPUBLIC 5 Centavos KM# 397.1 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico SECOND REPUBLIC 5 Centavos KM# 398 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico SECOND REPUBLIC 5 Centavos KM# 398.1 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico SECOND REPUBLIC 5 Centavos KM# 398.10 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico SECOND REPUBLIC 5 Centavos KM# 398.2 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico SECOND REPUBLIC 5 Centavos KM# 398.3 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico SECOND REPUBLIC 5 Centavos KM# 398.4 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico SECOND REPUBLIC 5 Centavos KM# 398.5 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico SECOND REPUBLIC 5 Centavos KM# 398.6 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico SECOND REPUBLIC 5 Centavos KM# 398.7 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico SECOND REPUBLIC 5 Centavos KM# 398.8 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico SECOND REPUBLIC 5 Centavos KM# 398.9 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico SECOND REPUBLIC 5 Centavos KM# 400 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico SECOND REPUBLIC 5 Centavos KM# 400.1 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico SECOND REPUBLIC 5 Centavos KM# 400.2 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico SECOND REPUBLIC 5 Centavos KM# 400.3 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico 5 Centavos KM# 400 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
Mexico 5 Centavos KM# 400.2 dated type — dated identity; weight; fineness; annual dates; design; type-specific diameter where supplied and explicit omissions; mint variants (checked 2026-10-12)
CC0 genuine1867 paired photograph — actual representative faces; independent photographic permission; unspecified photographer (checked 2026-10-12)

Issue-year references

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

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