100 Pesos Baja California Sur (Coat of Arms) 2003
Prices updated: August 2026
Union of the States: Baja California Sur, first stage.
Union of the States: Baja California Sur, first stage.
Design
Banxico
Reverse
Official coat of arms of the state of Baja California Sur, with the perimeter legend "ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS". Reverse of the first stage of the Union of the States of the Mexican Republic series.
Obverse
Mexican National Coat of Arms within the silver center, with the denomination "100 PESOS" and the legend "ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS" on the bronze-aluminum ring. Minting year on the obverse.
How much is the 100 Pesos Baja California Sur (Coat of Arms) 2003 worth?
The market value of the 100 Pesos Baja California Sur (Coat of Arms) 2003 is not yet documented with enough data to give a firm range. Weigh and measure your piece, compare it against the specifications, and check the forum for a second opinion.
The real price depends on four factors: the grade of preservation (a circulated piece is worth the low end of the range; an uncirculated one, or one still in its official blister pack, the high end), the finish (satin vs mirror/proof), the rarity within the series based on the mintage, and the metal spot price on the day of the deal when the piece is silver or gold. Check the value-by-grade table above and compare with equivalent pieces before buying or selling.
Where to buy or sell this coin?
Browse the national directory of numismatic shops or the community forum to trade directly with other collectors.
States of the Federation
The 64 pieces of the 180th Anniversary series
This coin is part of the series that dedicated one piece to each Mexican state. Two phases: Heraldic (2003) and Cultural (2005-2007).
Description
If you inherited or found a heavy two-tone Mexican 100 pesos coin marked "Baja California Sur," the good news is it contains real silver, so it has a value floor. The bad news for anyone hoping for a windfall: in ordinary condition this coin trades close to its silver content, roughly 20 to 35 USD depending on the silver market, not a fortune.
This is a bimetallic commemorative from the first stage of Mexico's "Unión de los Estados de la República Mexicana" series, launched by Banco de México (the Mexican central bank, known as Banxico) in 2003. There is one coin for each Mexican state plus the federal district, 32 coins in total, and this one honors the state of Baja California Sur.
What you actually have
The coin has a silver center inside a golden-colored ring. That center is the part that matters for value.
- Center: .925 Sterling silver
- Outer ring: aluminum-bronze (no precious metal)
- Total weight: 33.78 grams
- Diameter: 39 millimeters
- Edge: discontinuous reeding, standard for this series
- Obverse: the Mexican national coat of arms (an eagle on a cactus) inside the silver center, with the denomination 100 pesos
- Reverse: the official coat of arms of Baja California Sur, showing a shell, a palm, and the sun
The silver center weighs less than the full 33.78 grams, since the ring is base metal. The pure silver content works out to roughly half a troy ounce, which is why melt value sits in the 15 to 25 USD range and the coin as a whole trades a bit above that.
What it is worth in 2026
Honest answer: for most people, this is a silver coin worth its silver, plus a modest collector premium. It is not rare. Millions of these state series coins exist across the 32 designs, and dealers see them constantly.
| Condition | Typical value (USD) |
|---|---|
| Circulated / handled | 20 to 30 |
| Uncirculated (BU) | 30 to 45 |
| Certified high grade (MS68+) | 60 to 120 |
The figures above move with the price of silver. When silver rises, the floor rises with it. A single coin will not fund a vacation. Where value builds is in the complete 32-coin set in matched grade, which collectors pay a real premium for over buying the pieces one by one.
The "it must be worth thousands" myth
Being from 2003 makes this a modern coin, not an antique. Age alone drives almost nothing here. What would drive a big price is a verified mint error (off-center strike, die rotation, double strike) or a top certified grade that is genuinely scarce for this issue. Those are the exceptions.
Most "errors" people spot on social media are post-mint damage: dents, scratches, corrosion, or toning from storage. That is not a factory error and it lowers value rather than raising it. If you think you have a true error, get eyes on it before you celebrate.
The sister coin
Baja California Sur actually appears twice in Mexican commemoratives. In 2005 Banxico issued a second version in the "Cultural" stage of the series, the 100 Pesos Baja California Sur Cultural 2005, which swaps the state coat of arms for a state-specific cultural design. Collectors who want the full Baja California Sur pairing need both.
How to tell if yours is genuine
Counterfeits of this series exist because it contains silver. Two quick checks catch most fakes:
- Weigh it. Use a jewelry scale. A genuine coin weighs 33.78 grams. A fake is usually off.
- Measure it. Use calipers. The diameter should be 39 millimeters exactly.
Beyond the numbers, look at the strike. Real coins have crisp, sharp relief and a clean color break between the silver center and the bronze ring. Fakes tend to look flat, mushy, or have the two metals bleeding into each other. If real money is on the line, submit it to a grading service like NGC or PCGS, which authenticate and grade in one step.
Where to sell it
To get a fair price and not lose to a lowball offer:
- A verified coin dealer will appraise it on the spot. Browse the Pesoteca dealer directory by city, or the dealers listed for Baja California Sur.
- Sell to other collectors directly through the Pesoteca buy-and-sell forum, which usually beats a dealer's buy price.
- Photograph the obverse, reverse, and edge in good light before you list anything, and check the value range on this page first so you know your floor.
Avoid dumping it to the first buyer on a general marketplace. Silver coins get lowballed there constantly.
Got the whole 32-coin state series, or just this one? Post your photos in the Pesoteca forum and let the community tell you what grade it really is before you sell.
Historical context
The 100-peso Union of the States of the Mexican Republic series began in 2003 with the first stage, called the Coat of Arms stage because the reverse bears the official heraldry of each of the 32 states. The piece dedicated to Baja California Sur is part of that first block of 32 coins, issued by Banxico under the framework of the Monetary System that has governed the modern peso since the 1993 nuevos pesos reform.
Baja California Sur has La Paz as its capital. It was established as a free and sovereign state in 1974. The reverse of the piece shows the state's official coat of arms, without allusions to specific historical episodes: the central motif is the heraldic emblem. For mintages and circulation economic data of each piece in the series, the sources are Banxico's official reports; until verified in the CM10 catalog they are not reported on this listing.
This piece belongs to the era
Nuevos Pesos y actualidad →Explore all the Mexican coins of this era, their historical context and how they connect to the monetary system of the period.
Go deeper on this coin
100 pesos de los Estados: la moneda de plata dedicada a tu estado (guía completa Escudo y Cultural)
Banxico acuñó una moneda de plata para cada uno de los 32 estados de México, y luego lo hizo dos veces. Aquí está la guía completa de las 100 pesos de los Estados: qué son, la diferencia entre la versión Escudo y la Cultural, por qué el centro de plata importa, cómo armar la colección y la lista de las 64 fichas para que caces la de tu tierra.
Read the full article →Unique context of this piece
The coat of arms of Baja California Sur shows a shell, a palm and the sun, elements of the peninsular coastal setting.
Baja California Sur was a federal territory until 1974, becoming the youngest state in Mexico along with Quintana Roo.
Baja California Sur did not have a colonial mint during the Mexican viceroyalty, but it joined Banxico's official commemorative program when the Bank of Mexico made the "Union of the States of the Mexican Republic" series official in 2003. This bicolor 100-peso piece is the first and only official coin dedicated specifically to the state of Baja California Sur during its first stage.
If you want to hunt this piece down in person or find specialized collectors in Baja California Sur, check the Baja California Sur store hub, where we document the state's verified stores with honest reviews, addresses and contact details.
If you collect the full series, your next target is the Cultural 2005 sibling of Baja California Sur, struck two years later with a state-specific iconographic motif instead of the official coat of arms. The full 100 Pesos States series also has the complete catalog with every sibling piece verified by Pesoteca.
Related pieces and hubs
Specific questions about this piece
Did Baja California Sur have a Mexican colonial mint?
No, Baja California Sur did not have a colonial mint during the viceroyalty. The active Mexican colonial mints were Mexico City (Mo, the most important), Zacatecas (Zs), Guadalajara (Ga), Guanajuato (Go), Durango (Do), Chihuahua (CH), Oaxaca (Oa, insurgent), San Luis Potosí (Pi, insurgent) and a few others of lower volume. You can see the full catalog in our colonial 8 reales series.
What is the difference from the 100 Pesos Baja California Sur Cultural 2005?
The Coat of Arms 2003 version (this one) shows the state's official coat of arms on the reverse. The sibling Cultural 2005 version shows an iconographic motif representative of the state (a historical figure, a monument, a cultural element) instead of the coat of arms. Both share the bimetallic format and composition. Collecting both is what completes the 100 Pesos set of Baja California Sur.
Where can I buy the 100 Pesos Baja California Sur Coat of Arms 2003 today?
The main circuit for pieces in this series is the specialized numismatic market: auction houses, verified stores in the state, and private collectors. In the Baja California Sur store hub we document the local options with honest reviews. For UNC pieces or those with the original Banxico blister pack, the price rises between 3x and 8x the 100-peso face value.
Why did Baja California Sur (Coat of Arms) 2003 not have a colonial mint?
Baja California Sur (Coat of Arms) 2003 did not have an operating mint during the Spanish viceroyalty. The active Mexican colonial mints were Mexico City (Mo, the most important and oldest on the continent), Zacatecas (Zs), Guadalajara (Ga), Guanajuato (Go), Durango (Do), Chihuahua (CH), Oaxaca (Oa, insurgent) and San Luis Potosí (Pi, insurgent).
The main reason was economic: mints were only established in regions with enough silver mining output to justify the infrastructure. The silver circulating in Baja California Sur (Coat of Arms) 2003 during the colonial era came mainly from the central Mexico City mint. That is why this bicolor 100-peso piece from 2003 is the first official coin dedicated specifically to the state.
Key historical event of Baja California Sur (Coat of Arms) 2003 (1974)
Baja California Sur fue Territorio Federal hasta el 8 de octubre de 1974, cuando junto con Quintana Roo fue elevado a estado, siendo uno de los más jóvenes de México.
Circulation and market of Baja California Sur (Coat of Arms) 2003
Estado joven con circulación limitada. La pieza se caza principalmente en La Paz o vía subastas nacionales.
Other denominations from 2003
180 Aniversario de la Unión de los Estados en una Federación · Bimetálica
Same denomination, other years
100 pesos Bimetálica · 180 Aniversario de la Unión de los Estados en una Federación
Frequently asked questions
How much is the 2003 100 Pesos Baja California Sur worth?
In circulated condition it typically sells for 20 to 30 USD, mostly for its Sterling silver center. Uncirculated examples run 30 to 45 USD, and certified high grades (MS68 and up) can reach 60 to 120 USD. Values move with the silver market, so the floor rises when silver rises.
Is the 2003 100 Pesos Baja California Sur rare?
No. It is one of 32 coins in Mexico's state commemorative series and exists in large numbers. Real value comes from top certified grades or a verified mint error, or from owning the complete matched 32-coin set, which collectors pay a premium for over single pieces.
Where can I sell the 2003 100 Pesos Baja California Sur?
The safest options are a verified coin dealer from the [Pesoteca directory](/tiendas), who can appraise it on the spot, or the [Pesoteca buy-and-sell forum](/foro/compra-venta) where you sell directly to collectors. Photograph the obverse, reverse, and edge, and check this page's value range before you sell.
How can I tell if my 100 Pesos Baja California Sur is genuine?
Weigh it with a jewelry scale (33.78 grams) and measure it with calipers (39 millimeters). Fakes usually have the wrong weight or diameter, flat relief, or colors that bleed between the silver center and bronze ring. For confirmation, submit it to NGC or PCGS for authentication and grading.
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Images for informational and educational purposes, attributed to their original source. Reference values; the real price depends on the grade, the specific variant and demand.
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