Mexican 5 Centavos 1964 (Copper Josefa): Value Guide

If you inherited a jar of Mexican coins and found a 5 centavos dated 1964, here is the honest answer: in worn condition it is worth cents, not dollars. A pristine, uncirculated example can bring a few dollars from a collector. This is a common circulation coin, not a rarity, and no legitimate figure puts it in the hundreds.

This coin is often called the "Josefa" 5 centavos in Mexico, though the copper 1964 issue carries the National Coat of Arms rather than a portrait. It is a small copper piece from the era of the old peso, before Mexico revalued its currency in 1993.

What the 1964 5 Centavos Is Worth

Value tracks condition (grade) almost entirely. There is no silver or gold here, so there is no bullion floor to prop up the price. This is straight collector demand for a common coin.

These are collector prices, not what a bank or a bulk buyer will pay. In a mixed lot sold by weight, a worn 1964 5 centavos is worth essentially nothing on its own. A single sharp uncirculated example with full detail is where the small premium lives.

Coin Specifications

Keep these exact numbers. They are how you confirm you have the right coin and how you screen out fakes.

• Denomination: 5 centavos
• Year: 1964
• Metal: Copper
• Weight: 4.04 grams
• Diameter: 20 mm
• Edge: Plain (smooth)
• Mint: Casa de Moneda de México (mint mark "Mo")

Obverse: The Mexican National Coat of Arms (an eagle on a cactus) with the inscription "ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS," which is the official name of the country, the United Mexican States.

Reverse: The face value "5" or "5 CENTAVOS" in large lettering, the date "1964," and the "Mo" mint mark of the Mexico City mint.

Is It Rare?

No. The 1964 5 centavos was produced for everyday circulation and millions were made. Age alone does not create value, and a coin from 1964 is not old in numismatic terms. What drives any premium here is condition, not scarcity. A worn 1964 is one of the most common Mexican small-denomination coins you can find.

About the Myth of "Worth Thousands"

Social media posts routinely claim old Mexican centavos are worth thousands. For the standard 1964 5 centavos, that is false. The only way one of these commands real money is a verified mint error (an off-center strike, a die rotation, a double strike) that is genuine and confirmed by a grader.

Be careful: most "errors" people post online are post-mint damage, corrosion, or wear, not factory mistakes. Real, catalogued errors can multiply value, but they are the exception, and they need verification before anyone pays a premium.

How to Check What Yours Is Worth

1. Grade it. Look for wear on the high points and whether the coin still has luster. Our coin grading guide walks you through it.
2. Confirm it is genuine. Weigh it on a jewelry scale (should be 4.04 g) and measure it with calipers (20 mm). Fakes usually miss the weight or diameter, or show flat, mushy detail.
3. Photograph both sides and the edge in good light before you ask for a value or list it for sale.

For a common coin like this, professional certification (NGC or PCGS) usually costs more than the coin is worth unless you have a genuine high grade or a verified error.

Where to Sell It

For a coin in this value range, your best options are a verified dealer or the collector community, not a random online buyer. Try a shop from the Pesoteca dealer directory, where you get an on-the-spot appraisal, or list it in the Pesoteca buy and sell forum where collectors trade fairly. Check the price ranges above before you accept any offer, and do not dump it to the first bidder on social media.

If you have a whole box of these and want to know which ones actually carry a premium, post clear photos in the Pesoteca forum and let the community sort the common from the keepers.

The centavo coins circulating in Mexico during the second half of the 20th century were minted in alloys that changed according to the cost of metals: copper, bronze and brass in low denominations (1¢, 5¢, 20¢); cupronickel for intermediate denominations (25¢, 50¢, late 10¢); and .720 silver for some 25¢ and 50¢ pieces in the 1950s. Each change of alloy produced a distinct variant of the same face value. 1964 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.