Obverse: identify the front

The reference identifies KM 446 by the Mexican national arms. Compare the full arms and surrounding legends with the date, denomination and nominal mass. The related .720 KM 447 design includes fineness numerals above the eagle; Heritage’s original description of a 1919 KM 447 specimen explicitly records this marker. A complete obverse without that marking is consistent with the reduced .800 design, but design comparison is not an assay.

Reverse: identify the back

The matching reverse has the denomination and date within a three-quarter wreath, with a Liberty cap above. Preserve the complete date, Mo attribution and rims in photographs. The documented 1918/7 overdate belongs to the 1918 annual issue; its underlying numeral does not establish a separate 1917 issue in this guide.

History and purpose

The reference calls KM 446 a reduced-size issue. It follows the larger 12.5 g, .800, 30 mm KM 445 family of 1905–1918. The two standards overlap in 1918 and carry different silver amounts. The .720 fifty-centavo standard beginning in 1919 is also different: 8.3333 g and .1929 fine silver troy ounce. A 1919 coin or 27 mm diameter alone cannot distinguish all relevant standards.

How to identify this variant

For this calculator match fifty centavos, a 1918 or 1919 date, the KM 446 design and nominal 9.0625 g mass. Separate larger .800 fifty centavos from this reduced-size type, and separate .720, .420, .300 and base-metal fifty centavos. A worn coin may weigh less than the reference. Household weighing, a magnet or an image cannot independently establish precise fineness or authenticity. Photograph both sides before combining quantities.

Understanding its metal content

The calculator uses .2331 fine silver troy ounce per correctly attributed piece. Three matching coins contribute 27.1875 nominal gross grams and .6993 reference fine silver troy ounce. Gross alloy weight is not fine silver weight; troy ounces differ from ordinary avoirdupois ounces. A dollar melt estimate needs an approved current price feed. The reference amount does not include a collector premium and is not a buying offer.

Dates, varieties and composition changes

Actual annual years are 1918 and 1919 only. The reference also records a 1918/7 overdate within the 1918 issue. Keep suspected overdates available for individual attribution rather than treating an underlying numeral as another issue year. The earlier .800 family began in 1905, but those larger coins do not become reduced-size coins by sharing fineness.

Melt value versus collector value

Condition, date, overdate, die detail, provenance and authenticity can affect collector interest independently of silver content. Preserve complete legends and rims for review. The guide does not infer grade or rarity from a photograph. Avoid cleaning or polishing, and retain certification, original holders and established descriptions where available.

Authenticity and condition

The absence of the 0.720 marking on a complete 1919 obverse supports attribution to the .800 design when the other details also match. Both reduced .800 and .720 fifty-centavo standards include 1919 and a 27 mm nominal diameter. Confirm the entire design and appropriate nominal mass: 9.0625 g for .800 versus 8.3333 g for .720. These observations identify a candidate type; they do not authenticate or determine the precise alloy of another specimen.

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 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 9.0625 g/.800/.2331 fine silver troy ounce. The matching dated KM 446 record confirms those values and a 27 mm diameter. Its actual annual years are 1918 and 1919, including a 1918/7 overdate. The earlier 12.5 g, .800, 30 mm KM 445 standard is a different physical issue and is excluded from this reduced-size calculator. No remaining-alloy ratio, thickness or unsupported finish is invented. 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

References

• NGC designated World Silver Coin Melt Values — designated weight; fineness; reference silver ounces; broader group heading (checked 2026-10-12)
• Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS 50 Centavos KM# 446 — dated identity; weight; fineness; fine silver ounces; diameter; dates from actual annual rows; design; reduced size and overdate (checked 2026-10-12)
• Heritage: 1919 KM447 design marker — primary original 1919 lot explicitly describes .720 above eagle; matching 8.3333 g/27 mm/.1929 ASW; no photograph republication (checked 2026-10-12)

Issue-year references

• NGC designated World Silver Coin Melt Values
• Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS 50 Centavos KM# 446
• Heritage: 1919 KM447 design marker

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

Related coins

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

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Mexican Large .800 Silver Fifty Centavos

Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.

Mexico • 80% silver reference; remaining alloy metals not independently established

Issue years: 1905–1908, 1912–1914, 1916–1918

Fine silver: 0.321500 troy oz

Add to collection