1/2 oz Silver Libertad 2012: Value & Price Guide

If you inherited or found a 2012 half-ounce Silver Libertad, here is the fast answer: it is a real silver bullion coin with a low mintage of 22,627 pieces, so it is worth more than melt value. Circulated examples trade in the range of 25 to 60 USD, while certified uncirculated pieces can bring 100 to 300 USD or more. The exact figure depends on grade and the live silver price.

The Onza Libertad is Mexico's official silver bullion series, minted by the Casa de Moneda de México (the Mexican Mint), one of the oldest mints in the Americas. Think of it as Mexico's answer to the American Silver Eagle. The 1/2 onza is the half-ounce denomination, so it contains half a troy ounce of pure silver.

What you actually have

The 2012 half-ounce Silver Libertad is struck in .999 fine silver, so its silver content sets a hard price floor. It cannot fall below the value of its metal.

Specification	Detail
Denomination	1/2 onza (half troy ounce)
Year	2012 (single year of issue)
Metal	Silver .999 fine
Weight	15.5517 grams
Diameter	33 mm
Edge	Reeded
Mintage	22,627 pieces
Finish	Satin

The obverse shows the Mexican coat of arms surrounded by historical shields. The reverse shows the Winged Victory (the Angel of Independence, Mexico City's famous monument) in front of the Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl volcanoes, with the inscription "1/2 ONZA TROY DE PLATA PURA" (half troy ounce of pure silver).

What it is worth in USD

Three things drive the price of this coin: silver spot value, its low mintage, and grade.

The half-ounce contains 0.25 troy ounce of pure silver, so its melt value follows the silver market. On top of that, the 2012 issue is genuinely scarce. A mintage of 22,627 is small for a bullion series, and that scarcity gives collectors a reason to pay a premium over melt.

Grade / Condition	Approximate value (USD)
Circulated, some wear	25 to 60
Uncirculated, no certification	60 to 120
Certified MS-65 to MS-68 (NGC/PCGS)	120 to 350+

Coins still sealed in the original Banxico blister or capsule sell at the higher end. A certified high-grade example is where the real money is, because for a low-mintage year, collectors compete for the top slabbed pieces.

The reality check

Do not expect thousands of dollars from a worn, loose 2012 Libertad. Despite the low mintage, this is a modern coin, and modern silver coins rarely hit auction records. The value comes from silver content plus a scarcity premium, not from age. If a listing claims a common circulated Libertad is worth a small fortune, it is not.

That said, the 2012 half-ounce is one of the better modern Libertads to hold, precisely because of that 22,627 mintage. Compare it to common-year one-ounce Libertads that were struck in the millions and trade barely above melt. Lower mintage plus high certified grade is what separates a 30 USD coin from a 300 USD coin.

How to tell if yours is genuine

Silver Libertads are counterfeited, so verify before you buy or celebrate a find.

• Weight and size. A real 1/2 onza weighs 15.5517 grams and measures 33 mm across. If your coin is off on either number, it is suspect. A cheap digital scale settles most fakes.
• The ping test. Genuine silver produces a high, ringing tone when gently balanced and tapped. Base-metal fakes sound dull and short.
• Edge and detail. Look for a clean reeded edge and sharp strike on the Winged Victory. Blurry lettering is a red flag.
• Certification. For anything you plan to buy or sell above 100 USD, third-party grading from NGC or PCGS is the definitive safeguard. A slabbed coin removes all doubt about authenticity and grade.

Use the Mexican coin grading guide to place your coin on the scale before you value it.

Where to sell it

Because this is a precious-metal coin, sell only where the buyer inspects and weighs the piece in front of you or in clear photos.

1. Verified numismatic shops from the Pesoteca directory. They appraise on the spot and pay fair market rates.
2. The Pesoteca buy-and-sell forum, where collectors trade directly.
3. Coin shows and reputable collector groups. Fine for common pieces, but always photograph the obverse, reverse, and edge first.

Avoid dumping a low-mintage coin like this to the first bidder on social media. Check the grade-based ranges above, then decide.

Have a 2012 half-ounce Libertad, or a full box of Libertads you are trying to sort out? Post clear photos of both sides and the edge in the Pesoteca forum and the community will help you pin down the grade and a fair price.

1/2 troy oz Libertad silver 2012 Regular BU

This piece is the 1/2 troy oz silver Onza Libertad, struck by the Mexican Mint in 2012 in its Regular BU version.

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

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, which gives it a profile of relative scarcity within the year's set.

Context of the year. In 2012 Felipe Calderón governed until November and Enrique Peña Nieto from December 1. An alternation with the PRI's return to Los Pinos. Silver closed at 30.35 USD per troy ounce.

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

Mintage. Banxico reported in its official tables a mintage of 22,627 pieces for this combination of fraction, year, and finish. That number is the basis for measuring the piece's relative scarcity within the program.