Mexican .720 Silver Fifty Centavos
Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.
Mexico • 72% silver; remaining alloy metals not independently verified
Issue years: 1919–1921, 1925, 1937–1939, 1942–1945
Fine silver: 0.192900 troy oz
Mexico • 50 centavos
Mexican .420 Silver Fifty Centavos — 1935
A matching Mexican .420 silver fifty centavos contains 0.1077 reference fine silver troy ounce using the designated reference melt table. Actual included years are 1935 only. Confirm denomination, complete date, both designs, nominal 7.973 g mass and 27 mm diameter before combining a quantity. Different Mexican coins sharing the denomination can contain different amounts of silver.
Images: Banco de México, Colección Numismática, inventory 11849, 1935; reproduced under its published collection use policy. · Image source · Banco de México published collection reproduction permission
Images: Banco de México, Colección Numismática, inventory 11849, 1935; reproduced under its published collection use policy. · Image source · Banco de México published collection reproduction permission
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
- 50 centavos
- Composition
- 42% silver; documented U.S. production alloy includes 58% copper
- Gross weight (grams)
- 7.973
- Fineness
- 0.42
- Fine-metal weight (troy oz)
- 0.1077
- Diameter (mm)
- 27
- Mint
- Mint marked Mo (the reference dated reference)
- Mint mark
- Mo
- Restrikes
- Patterns, regional issues, tokens, counterfeits and later replicas excluded
- Issue years
- 1935
Actual source-reviewed issue years for this exact denomination, design and metal/weight scope. Overdates, mint combinations and proof availability remain type-specific; specimen photos and measurements do not certify other examples.
- Source precision
- The reference’s designated World Silver melt reference supplies 7.973 g gross mass, 0.42 fineness and 0.1077 fine silver troy ounce. Matching dated KM 448 records supply actual dates, 27 mm diameter, identity, designs and mint notes. Thickness and identities of remaining alloy metals have not been independently verified.
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 reference describes the national arms. The .420 standard must be identified by the complete 1935 type, 7.973 g nominal mass and 27 mm diameter; a similar national-arms face appears on .720 silver 50 centavos.
Reverse: identify the back
The value and date sit within a three-quarter wreath below a Liberty cap. The 1935 year is the inspected type’s single issue date. Preserve the complete legend and rim when photographing an example.
History and purpose
This one-year KM 448 standard contains 42% silver and uses 7.973 g nominal gross mass. Its .1077 reference ASW is materially lower than the .720 KM 447 standard’s .1929 oz, despite both being 27 mm 50 centavos with Liberty-cap-and-wreath designs. These are real composition standards, not a rounding discrepancy.
Banco de México’s monetary history places the .420 fifty-centavo issue within the 1935 reforms following rising silver prices and changes in the circulation of the silver peso. That historical context is separate from the reference nominal specification used by this calculator.
U. S. Bureau of the Mint production records also identify 1935 fifty centavos manufactured for Mexico at Philadelphia, San Francisco and Denver. The recorded alloy is 420 parts silver and 580 parts copper per thousand, with 7.973 g gross mass and 27 mm diameter. Manufacturing records do not assign an unseen specimen to a particular factory.
The original U.S. Mint production table records manufacture of the 1935 fifty centavos at Philadelphia, San Francisco and Denver. It gives an alloy of 420 parts silver and 580 parts copper per thousand, nominal 7.973 g gross mass and 27 mm diameter. This corroborates the silver standard while factory attribution of an individual specimen requires its own evidence.
How to identify this variant
Match the complete 50 centavos denomination and included issue years. The designated standard is 7.973 g gross mass, 0.42 silver fineness and 27 mm diameter. Keep unrelated alloys, gold coins, regional issues, patterns and replicas separate. Wear can reduce mass; appearance, a magnet or a household scale cannot alone determine precise alloy or authenticate the coin.
Understanding its metal content
Three matching coins contribute 23.919 nominal gross grams and 0.3231 reference fine silver troy ounces. The calculator uses 0.1077 oz per coin rather than treating total alloy mass as pure silver. Dollar melt pricing requires an approved current market quote; absent pricing is not shown as zero. Collector demand and condition remain separate from metal content.
Dates, varieties and composition changes
Specific annual years are 1935. The matching reference table provides 1935 as the only annual row. No 1934 or 1936 matching issue, proof or unlisted overdate is inferred.
Melt value versus collector value
An attributed overdate, die variety, date, finish, condition or provenance may influence collector interest independently of silver content. The metal calculation cannot determine grade, rarity or collector value. Avoid polishing or cleaning; preserve original surfaces, any established provenance and reputable certification. A worn piece and an uncirculated example of the same nominal standard can have different collector values.
Authenticity and condition
A photograph of another denomination or alloy must not be used as this type’s illustration. Complete authentic obverse, reverse and edge views, measured mass and diameter help investigate a specimen but are not a silver assay. Plated pieces, cast copies, unlisted patterns and doubtful dates require individual attribution. Avoid cleaning or inferring a proof finish from shine.
Selling this coin
Sort 50 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 possible, when requesting a CashForCoins appraisal. Preserve unusual die details for individual review. An offer can depend on authenticity, condition and collector demand alongside metal content. The melt calculation is an educational reference.
Sources and calculation methodology
The reference’s designated World Silver melt reference supplies 7.973 g gross mass, 0.42 fineness and 0.1077 fine silver troy ounce. Matching dated KM 448 records supply actual dates, 27 mm diameter, identity, designs and mint notes. Thickness and identities of remaining alloy metals have not been independently verified. Actual annual years come from dated catalog rows. The reference fine-silver amount applies to a correctly attributed coin and does not establish authenticity, grade or collector value.
Common questions
Which actual issue years are covered?
1935. Matching annual rows establish the list; omitted years are not inferred.How much silver is in three matching coins?
0.3231 reference fine silver troy ounces and 23.919 nominal gross grams, using the designated reference. This does not authenticate a specimen or establish collector value.Can other coins with the same denomination have another metal amount?
Yes. Identify the actual dated type, metal, nominal mass and fineness before combining a quantity. Different alloy standards and gold or base-metal coins require separate calculations.References
- NGC designated World Silver Coin Melt Values — designated weight; fineness; reference silver ounces; broader group heading (checked 2026-10-12)
- NGC matching dated Mexican typeKM448 — dated identity; weight; fineness; diameter; dates from actual annual rows; design; mint and variety notes; source precision differences where recorded (checked 2026-10-12)
- Banco de México: 1935 monetary history — official historical context for .420 fifty-centavo issue and 1935 monetary reform; NGC metal specification retained (checked 2026-10-12)
- U.S. Bureau of the Mint: Mexican production table — primary1935U.S. manufacture for Mexico atPhiladelphia/SanFrancisco/Denver;420silver/580copper alloy;7.973g mass;27mm diameter; indexed table inspected; fullPDF exceeds tool size limit (checked 2026-10-12)
- U.S. Bureau of the Mint: Mexican 1935 coin production — primary U.S. production of 1935 fifty centavos; silver/copper proportions; gross mass and diameter; actual printed Mexico table visually inspected (checked 2026-10-12)
- Banco de México exact photographed 1935 specimen, inventory11849 — identity; design; dates; measured specimen weight and diameter, distinct from retained nominal standards; source-specific paired institutional photographs (checked 2026-10-12)
Issue-year references
- NGC designated World Silver Coin Melt Values
- NGC matching dated Mexican typeKM448
- Banco de México: 1935 monetary history
- U.S. Bureau of the Mint: Mexican production table
- U.S. Bureau of the Mint: Mexican 1935 coin production
Content maintained by CashForCoins. Last substantive record update: 2026-10-12. Report a specification or attribution issue through our contact page.
Related coins
Mexican .300 Silver Fifty Centavos
Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.
Mexico • 30% silver; remaining alloy metals not independently verified
Issue years: 1950–1951
Fine silver: 0.064200 troy oz
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