1/20 oz Silver Libertad 2009: Value & How to Sell

If you inherited or found a tiny silver coin marked "1/20 Onza Plata Pura" dated 2009, here is the short answer: it is real Mexican silver bullion, and the 2009 satin-finish version had an official mintage of just 5,288 pieces. That low number makes it more interesting than most modern bullion. A circulated example runs a few dollars over silver value; a certified high-grade one can reach several hundred dollars.

What you actually have

The Onza Libertad ("Liberty Ounce") is Mexico's flagship silver bullion coin, struck by the Casa de Moneda de México (the national mint). "1/20 onza" means one twentieth of a troy ounce, one of the smallest fractional sizes in the series. It is not old and it is not a rare colonial relic. It is a modern investment-grade coin that also gets collected by size and year.

Core specs for the 2009 issue, straight from the mint:

• Metal: .999 fine silver (pure silver)
• Weight: 1.5552 grams
• Diameter: 16 mm
• Edge: reeded (grooved)
• Denomination: 1/20 troy ounce
• Design: the National Coat of Arms (eagle) with historic eagles from the Códice Mendocino on the front; the Winged Victory (the Angel of Independence statue) with the Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl volcanoes behind her on the back

This design belongs to the New Libertad Series introduced by the mint in 1996 and formalized by decree in 1999. If your coin shows that Winged Victory reverse, you have this series.

What it's worth in USD

Because the coin holds only 1/20 of an ounce of silver, its melt (metal) value is small, usually well under 5 USD depending on the silver spot price. That is the floor. It will never be worth less than the silver in it.

The real value comes from the low mintage and the condition. Banxico's official production table (cuadro CM10) reports 5,288 pieces in satin finish for 2009. That is a genuinely small number for a bullion coin, and it puts this year among the more sought-after fractional Libertads.

Condition	What it means	Typical value (USD)
Circulated / worn	Handled, scratches, dull	5 to 30
Uncirculated (raw)	Crisp, no wear, ungraded	40 to 120
Certified MS-67 to MS-69	NGC or PCGS slab	150 to 400+

These are market ranges, not a fixed quote. Fractional Libertads with low mintages trade in a thin collector market, so a single strong auction result can move prices. For an exact figure on your specific coin, get it graded or shown to a numismatic dealer.

How to tell if yours is genuine

Counterfeits of small silver coins exist, so run the basic checks before you pay or sell:

1. Weight it. A real one is 1.5552 grams. If a jeweler's scale reads noticeably off, be suspicious.
2. Measure it. 16 mm across. Wrong diameter is a red flag.
3. Check the edge. It should be reeded (fine grooves), not smooth.
4. Look at the strike. Genuine coins show sharp detail on the Winged Victory and the volcanoes. Fakes look mushy.

For anything you think is high grade or worth real money, the safest route is professional certification by NGC or PCGS. A graded coin in a sealed holder is guaranteed authentic and sells for more.

The myth to ignore

"Low mintage" gets oversold online. Yes, 5,288 is small, but this is still a modern coin, not a colonial rarity worth thousands. A worn one is worth a few dollars over its silver. Do not let a listing convince you a circulated 2009 fractional Libertad is a small fortune. The money is only in the certified top grades.

Where to sell it

Since this is a precious-metal coin, only deal with buyers who inspect the piece and confirm its weight. Your best options:

• A verified numismatic shop from the Pesoteca directory, which values it on the spot.
• The Pesoteca buy-and-sell forum, where collectors trade directly.
• For US sellers, established coin dealers and graded-coin marketplaces will take Libertads, especially certified examples.

Photograph the front, back, and edge before you list it, and compare against the value ranges above so you don't undersell. Certified coins bring the highest prices, and a low-grade raw piece is best sold as bullion.

Got a fractional Libertad you can't identify, or think you spotted a mint error? Post clear photos on the Pesoteca forum and let collectors weigh in before you sell.

1/20 troy ounce Libertad silver 2009 Regular BU

This piece is the silver Libertad of 1/20 troy ounce, struck by the Mexican Mint in 2009 in its Regular BU version.

Technical data. It contains 1.55 g of pure silver, .999 fineness, and measures 16 mm in diameter. On the reverse it bears the effigy of the Angel of Independence, chosen by Banxico as the official symbol of the series since 1981. On the obverse appears the National Coat of Arms in its pre-1969 version, alongside other historical coats of arms as an identity mark of the family.

Role within the set. It is the smallest fraction of the set. It serves as an entry piece, gift, or first contact with the series: it costs little per example but carries the highest premium of the family over the value of the contained silver, because the die cost is spread over fewer grams.

Context of the year. In 2009 Felipe Calderón Hinojosa governed. A year of recovery after the crisis. Silver closed at 16.99 USD per troy ounce. Demand for bullion as a safe haven rose.

Regular BU finish. The Regular finish, cataloged by Banxico as satin or BU, is obtained with dies without special polishing. The result is an even matte shine over the whole surface, without mirror contrast between fields and relief. It is the traditional bullion finish: it is bought for its weight in pure silver plus a modest die premium. It is the version hunters look for to build the complete set by year without draining their funds on each piece.

Mintage. Banxico reported in its official tables a minting of 5,288 pieces for this combination of fraction, year, and finish. That number is the basis for measuring the relative scarcity of the piece within the program.