1/2 oz Silver Libertad 1991: Value & Prices

If you inherited a 1991 half-ounce Silver Libertad, here is the honest answer: it is a genuine .999 pure silver coin, so it has a hard floor at melt value, roughly the price of half an ounce of silver on any given day. In 2026 that base is around 15 to 18 USD, with collector premiums pushing nicer examples higher. It is not a rare date, but it is real silver and always sells.

What this coin actually is

The Libertad (say "lee-bair-TAHD") is Mexico's flagship silver bullion series, minted by the Casa de Moneda de México, the oldest mint in the Americas. The obverse shows the Winged Victory statue from Mexico City's Angel of Independence monument, with the Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl volcanoes behind her. The reverse carries the Mexican coat of arms, the eagle on a cactus devouring a snake.

Your 1991 half-ounce piece matters for one specific reason: 1991 was the first year Banco de México added fractional sizes (1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/10 oz, 1/20 oz) to the silver line. Before that, the series only came in the full one-ounce size. So this half-ounce marks the debut of the smaller denomination.

The specs (use these to spot a fake)

These numbers are exact. If your coin does not match, be suspicious.

Feature	Specification
Metal	Silver .999 (pure silver)
Weight	15.5515 grams
Diameter	30.02 mm
Edge	Reeded
Year minted	1991 (single year for this issue)
Mint	Casa de Moneda de México

This is the older "cuño gordita" ("chubby die") design, the original 1982 to 1995 die that is thicker with a slightly smaller diameter than the modern version used since 1996. Collectors like the older style, but it does not change the value much on a common date like this.

What it's really worth

The value comes from two things, in this order:

1. Silver content. Half a troy ounce of pure silver. This is your guaranteed floor. Whatever silver trades at, half that amount is roughly what a dealer pays for a beat-up example. As of 2026, that is in the 15 to 18 USD range.
2. Collector premium. Fractional Libertads carry a premium over their metal because they were minted in far smaller numbers than the one-ounce coin, and complete date sets need them. A clean, uncirculated 1991 half-ounce commonly trades in the 30 to 60 USD range. Certified high-grade examples (NGC or PCGS graded MS68 and up) can reach into the low hundreds.

Do not expect a fortune. Anyone telling you a common-date Libertad is worth thousands is selling you something. The real money in this series sits in specific low-mintage proof and reverse-proof pieces from other years, not the 1991 bullion half-ounce.

One honest caveat on mintage

Banco de México does not publish official yearly mintage figures for this era. The public CM10 mint records only start in the year 2000, so nobody has a verified figure for the 1991 half-ounce. Fractional Libertads from the early 1990s are known to be genuinely scarcer than the one-ounce coins, which is why they carry a premium, but treat any exact "only X minted" claim you see online as unconfirmed.

How to tell if yours is genuine

• Weigh it. A real one is 15.5515 grams. A cheap digital scale settles most doubts. Fakes are almost always off.
• Measure it. 30.02 mm across.
• The ping test. Pure silver rings with a long, high, clear tone when you balance it on a fingertip and tap it. Base-metal fakes give a dull, short thud.
• Check the details. The Winged Victory and the volcanoes should be crisp. Mushy, soft strikes are a red flag.
• When it matters, certify it. If you think you have a high-grade example worth real money, send it to NGC or PCGS. A certified grade is the only thing that removes all doubt for a buyer, and graded coins consistently sell for more.

Where to sell it

As pure silver, this coin always finds a buyer. Your options:

• A reputable coin dealer will pay close to melt for a circulated piece and more for a clean one. Fast and safe.
• Collector forums and marketplaces, where date-set collectors pay the collector premium rather than just the metal price. You will usually get more here than at a dealer, with a little more effort.
• Avoid dumping it to the first bidder on general social media. Always photograph the obverse, reverse, and edge, and confirm weight before any deal.

If you have a box of these fractional Libertads, or you think you spotted a mint error, post clear photos on the Pesoteca forum and let collectors weigh in before you sell anything. What size is your Libertad, and what year is on it?

1/2 troy ounce Libertad silver 1991 Regular BU

This piece is the silver Libertad Onza in 1/2 troy ounce, struck by the Mexican Mint in 1991 in its Regular BU version.

Technical specs. It contains 15.55 g of pure silver at .999 fineness and measures 33 mm in diameter. The reverse bears the effigy of the Angel of Independence, chosen by Banxico as the official symbol of the series since 1981. The obverse shows the National Coat of Arms in its pre-1969 version, along with other historical coats of arms as a family identity mark.

Role within the set. It is the high intermediate fraction. It weighs exactly half of the flagship piece and is usually struck in smaller runs than the full ounce, giving it a profile of relative scarcity within the year's set.

Context of the year. In 1991 Carlos Salinas de Gortari governed. The set's fractions were expanded: 1/20, 1/10, 1/4, and 1/2 ounce were added to the full ounce. It is the starting year of the fractional silver set.

Regular BU finish. The Regular finish, cataloged by Banxico as satin or BU, is achieved with dies that receive no special polishing. The result is an even matte luster across the entire surface, with no mirror contrast between fields and reliefs. It is the traditional bullion finish: bought for its weight in pure silver plus a modest minting premium. It is the version hunters look for to build the complete set by year without decapitalizing on each piece.

Mintage. The exact mintage of this combination does not appear in the Bank of Mexico's public 2000-2025 tables. For pieces outside that range, one must consult the specific Mint catalog.