Mexico's Dinosaur Medals from the National Mint

No legal-tender Mexican coin has dinosaurs. The pieces with dinosaurs are commemorative medals from the Mexican Mint (Casa de Moneda, not the central bank Banxico), specifically the Dinosaurios de México collection of 6 medals, each 2.5 cm in diameter. They are official medals but not coins: they aren't decreed in the official gazette, they have no face value, and they don't circulate through banks. The distinction matters so you don't confuse them with circulating Banxico commemoratives like the 12 World Cup 2026 coins or the Jaguar Coin.

Prices are per 6-medal set. Launch price from the Mint: about 44 USD for the industrial-metal set (bronze or gold color) and about 232 USD for the silver .999 set. In the 2026 secondary market (Pesoteca's sale records at fairs): around 138 USD for the industrial and 388 USD for the silver. They launched cheap and appreciated fast because the Mint produces in short batches. To compare the metal content, check the current price per gram of silver. Figures recorded by Pesoteca; cite the source if you reuse them.

No. The Dinosaurios de México collection launched on April 25, 2025. In early August 2026 the Mint re-posted it on social media, and several outlets reported it as a recent release, which is a mistake. The medals have been on the market for over a year, which is why they already have a resale track record (rising from a launch of roughly 44 USD and 232 USD to near 138 USD and 388 USD in 2026). If you saw the news recently, it is not a new issue.

The 6 dinosaurs in the official collection are:

1. Labocania anomala (Tyrannosauridae, Baja California, 1966): 2.75 t, 8.2 m, carnivore. The first dinosaur found and studied by Mexicans.
2. Latirhinus uitstlani (Hadrosauridae, Coahuila, 1988): 2.6 t, 7.9 m, herbivore.
3. Coahuilaceratops magnacuerna (Ceratopsidae, Coahuila, 2002): 1.1 t, 4.1 m, herbivore. Horns up to 2 meters long.
4. Tlatolophus galorum (Hadrosauridae, Coahuila, 2005): 2.9 t, 8.5 m, herbivore. A crest that produced sounds.
5. Huehuecanauhtlus tiquichensis (Hadrosauridae, Michoacán, 2007): 1.25 t, 6.5 m, herbivore. Nahuatl name (ancient duck).
6. Tototlmimus packardensis (Ornithomimidae, Sonora, 2011): 120 kg, 3.7 m, herbivore. The first ornithomimid found in Mexico.

At official Mexican Mint points of sale: the Legaria branch in Mexico City (the most complete), Palacio de Minería in the Historic Center, and Mint booths at SONUMEX numismatic fairs. Occasionally the official site casamoneda.gob.mx enables domestic shipping, though there is no stable online store. On the resale market (with care): the Pesoteca forum, online marketplaces with a reputable seller and a photo of the original certificate, and Mexican collector groups on Facebook.

It depends on the segment. For metal investment: the Onza Libertad silver .999 in its annual satin issues. For historical collecting: the 50-peso gold Centenario (1905 Monetary Reform), the 1910 Caballito peso, and colonial 8 Reales from the Mexican Mint. For contemporary numismatics with a story: the Jaguar Coin from the 2026 World Cup and the Chichén Itzá 20 pesos 2026. For themed medals: the current Dinosaurios de México collection, precisely because it sells out fast and has a serious scientific narrative behind it.

The four bimetallic 20-peso coins (Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and the Triple-Host Jaguar) are available through bank change (BBVA, Santander, Banorte, HSBC), in OXXO and 7-Eleven registers, Mexico City metro ticket booths, and official Mint bags. Face value: 20 pesos. Banxico confirmed 25 million pieces minted per design in its statistical system on July 1, 2026. The four pure silver .999 coins (1 oz) and four pure gold .999 coins (1/4 oz) are distributed separately by the Mint, Multiva, and authorized dealers. Full details on the 12 World Cup 2026 coins.

Purely collectible. Commemorative medals have no face value and are not part of the monetary system. They are not issued by Banxico; the Mexican Mint issues them directly for public sale. That sets them apart from circulating 20-peso commemoratives (Bicentennial, Navy, World Cup 2026, Kukulcán) which are coins with a face value and do circulate through banks. To understand the difference, see what a circulating commemorative is.

All are real, and several are species unique to Mexico. The medal designs were validated by working paleontologists: Felisa Josefina Aguilar Arellano (INAH) and Dr. Ángel Alejandro Ramírez Velasco (Investigadores por México, Conahcyt / INAH). Collaborating institutions credited on the official blister: the Institute of Geology at UNAM, the Northwest Regional Station of UNAM, the INAH Coahuila Center, and the Museo del Desierto (Saltillo). Each medal lists weight, length, diet, and year of description if you want to check it against the paleontological literature.

The Mexican Mint produces these medals in sporadic batches, not continuously. When a batch sells out, the next one can take months to appear, and it doesn't always come. As of July 8, 2026 the collection remains partially available at official points of sale, but several designs are temporarily sold out. It's worth calling the Legaria branch before you go to ask about specific availability.

An authentic medal measures 2.5 cm, has a plain edge and satin finish, with the dinosaur's scientific name printed and the legend CASA DE MONEDA DE MÉXICO plus the Mo mint mark. The official blister carries the dinosaur's data, the INAH/UNAM endorsement, and a QR code to official information. If someone offers a loose one with no blister, a reeded edge, or a face value (20 pesos, 1 oz), it is not from this collection or it is a replica.

To sell, the safest route is a coin shop in the Pesoteca directory, which appraises Mint medals, or the Pesoteca buy-and-sell forum among collectors. A set in a sealed blister is worth more than loose pieces: don't open it. Post macro photos (obverse, reverse, blister, certificate) and avoid dumping it on Facebook to the first bidder. Sets with a scientific narrative have held up well in the secondary market.