1957 Mexican 20 Centavos (Copper): Value & Prices

If you inherited or found a 1957 Mexican 20 centavos, here is the honest answer: in circulated condition it is worth a few cents to a couple of dollars over face, because more than 13 million were struck. Only a pristine, uncirculated example climbs, and even then it tops out near 9 USD. This is a common coin, not a windfall.

What is this coin?

The 20 centavos is a Mexican bronze coin. "Centavos" are the cents of the Mexican peso (100 centavos to a peso). The 1957 date belongs to a long-running series that circulated from 1943 to 1974, so most people in the US who have one got it as a souvenir, in pocket change on a trip, or in a family jar.

It is a large, thick coin for its denomination, with the reddish tone of copper that ages to brown over time. When it has been kept well, it holds the original luster collectors look for.

The design (why people call it the "Teotihuacán" 20 centavos)

The reverse shows the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacán, the archaeological site northeast of Mexico City. Above it sits a radiant Phrygian cap, a classic symbol of liberty, and in the background rise the volcanoes Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl. The obverse carries the Mexican coat of arms, the eagle in profile, with the legend ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS (United Mexican States). That pyramid-and-volcanoes image is why collectors call it the Teotihuacán 20 centavos.

How much is a 1957 20 centavos worth in 2026?

Value is driven almost entirely by condition, because the coin is not scarce.

• Circulated and worn: a few cents to about 1 USD. It trades barely above sentiment value.
• Uncirculated (full original luster, no wear): international catalogs place it near 9 USD.

That is the ceiling for a normal 1957. There is no rare error or key date here that turns it into a four-figure coin. Anyone telling you an ordinary circulated example is worth hundreds is wrong.

Specifications (use these to spot a fake or altered coin)

Note the metal: no silver, no gold. This coin has no precious-metal melt value, so its worth is purely numismatic. If someone tries to sell you the "silver content" of a 20 centavos, walk away.

Is it rare? No.

With 13,455,000 pieces struck in 1957 alone, and a series that ran three decades, this is one of the most common Mexican coins of the era. It is an easy slot to fill if you collect the 20 centavos by year. The only version that carries a premium is a genuinely uncirculated, well-preserved piece with the copper luster intact and no spotting or green corrosion (verdigris), which attacks copper over time.

How to tell if yours is genuine

Check the physical numbers first, since fakes and altered dates usually miss on weight or size:

• Weight: 10 g.
• Diameter: 28.5 mm.
• Edge: plain, no reeding.
• Reverse: the Pyramid of the Sun, the legend TEOTIHUACAN, the mint mark Mo, and the year 1957.
• Obverse: the coat of arms with ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS.

If the weight or diameter is off by more than a hair, or the typography looks wrong, be suspicious and have it looked at by a specialist.

Where to sell or appraise it

Because a circulated 1957 is common and low-value, do not expect much for a worn one. Save your expectations for a truly uncirculated example. To find buyers and sellers by region, and to compare real asking prices, use the Pesoteca shop directory at /tiendas. If you are working through a mixed inheritance, our guides on Mexican coin values and how to grade a coin will help you sort the common from the keepers.

Have a 1957 20 centavos with strong original luster and no spots? Post clear photos of both sides on the Pesoteca forum and let the community weigh in on the grade.

The circulating centavo coins in Mexico during the second half of the 20th century were struck in alloys that changed according to the cost of metals: copper, bronze, and brass in the low denominations (1¢, 5¢, 20¢); cupronickel for the intermediate denominations (25¢, 50¢, late 10¢); and .720 silver for some 25¢ and 50¢ pieces in the 1950s. Each alloy change produced a distinct variant of the same face value. 1957 corresponds to the period when this variant was in circulation, before the transition to Nuevos Pesos in 1992. The Mexican Mint kept the basic design of the National Coat of Arms on the obverse and the numeric value on the reverse throughout this era.