Mexican 20 Centavos 2006 (Aluminum-Bronze): Value

If you found a small twelve-sided Mexican coin dated 2006 with the number 20 on the back, here is the honest answer: it is common circulation money. In most cases it is worth its face value of 20 Mexican centavos, which is a fraction of one US cent. Ignore the online notes claiming it is worth thousands. That does not apply to this coin.

What you actually have

This is the 20 centavos piece the Bank of Mexico (Banxico) groups under "Familia C," in its 2006 version. Centavos are the Mexican equivalent of cents: 100 centavos make one peso. The coin is:

• Metal: aluminum-bronze alloy (no silver, no gold)
• Weight: 3.04 g
• Diameter: 19.5 mm
• Shape: dodecagonal (twelve sides)
• Edge: plain

The front (obverse) shows the Mexican coat of arms, an eagle on a cactus devouring a serpent, with the legend ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS (United Mexican States). The back (reverse) has a large number 20, the centavos symbol, the mint year, the mark of the Mexican Mint (an M), and a stylized figure called the Acatl. The Acatl is the thirteenth day carved on the Piedra del Sol, the Aztec calendar stone. That glyph appears on every date in this series, which has circulated since January 1996, so it is not special to 2006.

Is it rare? No

Let's be direct about rarity. This is common circulating coinage. It moved through daily commerce across Mexico for years, and there is no evidence that 2006 is a scarce date within the series. Millions were struck. Age alone does not make a coin valuable, and a coin from 2006 is not even old.

Because there is no precious metal in it, there is no melt value floor either. The aluminum-bronze content is worth essentially nothing.

When it can be worth a little more

The only path to any premium is condition. A coin that never entered circulation, with full original luster and no spots, marks, or wear, can interest a collector filling a date set. Even then, the numbers are modest, typically a small handful of US cents to a couple of dollars for a top-grade uncirculated example, not more. A worn coin from your change jar has no collector premium.

Coin	Year	Typical value (worn)	Value (uncirculated, top grade)
20 centavos aluminum-bronze	2006	Face value (a fraction of a US cent)	A few cents up to about 2 USD

The myths people fall for

Online videos and posts love to claim ordinary Mexican coins are worth thousands. Here is what is true: coins with a verified striking error, such as a strong off-center strike, a doubled die, or a wrong-planchet strike, can carry real premiums. Those errors exist across many denominations, but each one has to be confirmed on the individual coin by an expert. We have no record of a specific, verified error for the 2006 20 centavos. Without a clear, verifiable error, this is a common coin worth face value.

Why the twelve sides?

The dodecagonal shape and the Acatl motif are what distinguish Familia C, the family Banxico put into circulation in 1996, from the earlier round versions of the denomination. If you want to see how this piece fits the broader set, check the full series of 20 centavos aluminum-bronze and the nuevos pesos era.

How to tell if yours is genuine

Counterfeits of a low-value coin are almost never worth anyone's effort, but you can confirm authenticity with the physical specs:

• Weight should be close to 3.04 g
• Diameter 19.5 mm
• Twelve-sided shape with a plain edge
• Coat of arms and ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS on the front
• Number 20 with the Acatl glyph on the back

If the weight or size is off, be suspicious.

Where to buy or sell

Since this is common circulation money, don't expect an active market around the single date. If you want to buy, sell, or get an opinion on grade, browse the Pesoteca shop directory, which lists numismatic dealers by state.

Have a coin you think might be an error strike, or a date you can't place? Post clear photos of both sides in the Pesoteca forum and let the community weigh in before you decide it's worth money.

Context of the twenty-centavo piece of 2006

This twenty-centavo coin (KM#548) was struck by the Mexican Mint in 2006, under the presidency of Vicente Fox Quesada. It is part of the family of circulating coins in aluminum-bronze with nickel that Banxico issued between 1992 and 2009, at 19.5 mm in diameter and 2.26 g in weight.

The year in Mexico. It was the year of the closest presidential election in the country's modern history. Felipe Calderón of the PAN won by half a percentage point over López Obrador according to the IFE count. The result triggered a sit-in on Paseo de la Reforma that lasted until September. That year, according to INEGI's consumer price index, annual inflation closed at 4.05% and the Bank of Mexico's FIX exchange rate ended the year at 10.88 pesos per dollar.

How it circulated. In 2006 these pieces circulated in a politically divided country. Inflation again topped 4%. They served for tips, small change, and exact payments. The Metro ticket was still 2 pesos, and four fifty-centavo coins covered it.

Numismatic note. The 2006 die is the last of the Fox term. These pieces were struck throughout the year under the outgoing administration. The obverse design is Banxico's official National Coat of Arms and the reverse shows the face value alongside the year of minting. From year to year the design stays identical and only the engraved date changes, so the visible difference is minimal. Internal die variations, where they exist, are documented in the Bank of Mexico's catalog.