Mexican 5 Centavos 1967 (Josefa): Value Guide

If you inherited or found a 1967 Mexican 5 centavos with a woman's profile, here is the honest answer: it is a common copper coin worth a few cents in worn condition and a few dollars only if it is uncirculated with original shine. This is not a rare date, and it is not a silver coin. In 2026, that reality has not changed.

The woman on the coin is Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, known as "la Corregidora," a heroine of Mexican independence. Collectors nickname the whole series the "Josefa." Millions were struck for daily pocket change, so almost every one you find is circulated and worth close to nothing above its novelty.

What the 1967 5 Centavos actually is

This coin was struck at the Casa de Moneda de México (the Mexican Mint). The specs matter for spotting fakes and for identification:

• Metal: copper (not silver, not gold)
• Weight: 3.97 grams
• Diameter: 20 mm
• Edge: smooth (plain, no reeding or lettering)
• Obverse: the Mexican national coat of arms (eagle on a cactus)
• Reverse: profile of Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez

The design stayed the same across many years of the 1960s and 1970s, so the date is the main thing that separates one issue from another when building a collection year by year.

How much is it worth?

Straight talk: the 1967 date is not scarce. It is easy to find and cheap to buy. Value comes down almost entirely to condition.

Because it is copper, most surviving examples arrive worn, oxidized, or spotted. A coin with original luster and crisp detail in Josefa's hair is worth meaningfully more than a circulated one. That is the single biggest driver of price on this issue.

Do not expect a windfall. Sites claiming old Mexican coins are worth thousands are selling clicks. A genuine 1967 5 centavos in ordinary condition is a starter coin, ideal for completing a date set without spending much.

Errors can change the math

Genuine mint errors (off-center strikes, die rotation, doubled dies, verified varieties) can multiply the value of an otherwise common coin. The catch: most "errors" people post online are post-mint damage, corrosion, or hits from circulation, not factory mistakes. If you think you have a real error, get it verified before you get excited.

How to tell if yours is genuine

Weigh it and measure it. A jewelry scale and a caliper are enough.

• Weight should be 3.97 grams. Off by a lot, be suspicious.
• Diameter should be 20 mm.
• Edge should be smooth, with no reeding.
• Watch for flat, mushy relief or copper color that looks wrong or artificially applied. Those point to a fake or a heavily altered piece.

Counterfeits of a low-value coin like this are uncommon because there is little profit in faking it, but altered dates and damaged coins passed off as "errors" do show up.

Where to sell it

If you want to sell a 1967 5 centavos, your safest options are a verified coin shop from the Pesoteca directory, which appraises it on the spot, or the Pesoteca buy-and-sell forum where collectors trade directly. Photograph the coin (front, back, and edge) and check the value range on this page before you sell so you know what fair looks like. Avoid dumping it to the first buyer on social media.

For a single common circulated example, honestly, it may be worth more as a keepsake than as a sale. Where these earn real money is in bulk lots or high-grade uncirculated examples.

Got a 1967 Josefa in your inheritance and not sure if it is worn or actually uncirculated? Post clear photos of both sides on the Pesoteca forum and let the community grade it before you sell.

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. 1967 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.