5 Nuevos Pesos 1994 Yaxchilán Lintel 26: Silver Coin Value

If you inherited or found a large Mexican silver coin marked "5 Nuevos Pesos" with a carved Maya scene on the back, here's the fast answer: it is a full ounce of pure silver, and in 2026 most examples are worth their silver content plus a modest collector premium. This is not a rare coin that sells for thousands, but it is not junk either. It has a real metal floor.

What you actually have

The coin is the 1994 5 Nuevos Pesos, Yaxchilán Lintel 26 (Dintel 26), part of the Serie Precolombina (Pre-Columbian Series) that Mexico's central bank, Banco de México, issued through the 1990s. "Nuevos Pesos" means "new pesos," the currency Mexico used from 1993 to 1996 after cutting three zeros off the old peso. The five-peso face value is symbolic only. Nobody spends this coin.

What matters is the metal. Here are the exact specs:

The reverse shows Yaxchilán Lintel 26, a carved limestone panel from the Maya site of Yaxchilán in Chiapas, southern Mexico. The scene depicts Queen Ix K'ab'al Xook handing a helmet to a warrior. The Mexican Mint reproduced the fine carving in relief, which is why collectors of Maya and Pre-Columbian themes still want the whole series.

How much is it worth in 2026?

Because the coin contains just over one troy ounce of pure silver, it has a hard price floor at melt value. That floor moves with the silver spot price. At recent silver prices, the melt value alone runs roughly 30 to 40 USD.

On top of melt, collectors pay a premium for eye appeal and grade:

• Circulated or handled, with scuffs in the fields: close to melt value, roughly 35 to 45 USD.
• Brilliant Uncirculated (BU), clean fields, sharp relief: typically 45 to 70 USD.
• Certified in a top mint-state grade (NGC/PCGS MS68 or higher): can reach 90 to 150 USD or more when two bidders want the same slabbed example.

The single biggest value driver here is condition, not date. The 1994 date is common across the Serie Precolombina silver ounces, so a beat-up example is worth its silver and little else. A pristine, fully struck coin with intact relief brings the premium.

The myth to ignore

Search social media and you will find claims that this coin is worth hundreds or thousands of dollars "because it is old" or "because it has a Maya carving." That is wrong. It is a 1990s bullion-and-collector issue produced in quantity, not a scarce 19th-century rarity. Age is not the point. Silver content and grade are. Treat any listing far above the ranges above as a seller fishing for an uninformed buyer.

How to check what yours is worth

1. Weigh it. Use a jewelry scale. A genuine coin weighs 37.11 grams. Wrong weight is a red flag for a fake.
2. Measure it. The diameter should be exactly 40 mm and the edge should be reeded (grooved). Flat or wrong-sized edges point to a counterfeit.
3. Grade it honestly. Look at the fields (the flat background). Hairline scratches and rub drop it toward melt value. A frosty, unmarked surface pushes it into premium territory.
4. Consider certification. If the coin looks flawless, submitting it to NGC or PCGS can unlock the higher end of the range, since buyers pay more for a graded, authenticated slab.

For more on how Mexican silver is priced by weight and fineness, see our guide to Mexican silver coins and the broader Serie Precolombina issues.

Where to sell it

Start with a verified dealer from the Pesoteca shop directory, who can weigh and grade the coin in person and quote you on the spot. To sell peer to peer, the Pesoteca buy-and-sell forum puts you in front of collectors who understand the series and will pay the premium a scrapyard never will.

Before you sell, photograph the obverse, reverse, and edge in good light, and check your grade against the ranges above. Do not dump it at the first Facebook offer. For a silver coin, never sell below the current melt value of its metal.

Got one sitting in a drawer? Post clear photos in the Pesoteca forum and let the community confirm the grade and a fair price before you let it go.

Lintel 26 of Yaxchilan is a stone-carved piece from the Late Classic Maya period that shows the ruler Itzamnaaj Bahlam III with Lady K'abal Xook in a ritual ceremony. It comes from the Yaxchilan archaeological site, in Chiapas, and is part of the most recognized Maya sculptural group in museum collections. The 1994 issue corresponds to the second series of the Bank of Mexico's Pre-Columbian program, dedicated exclusively to the Maya culture. The Pre-Columbian program began in 1992 with the Aztec series and continued with Veracruz (1993), Maya (1994), Olmec (1996), Teotihuacan (1997) and Toltec (1998). The pieces were struck at the Mexican Mint and offered to collectors and investors in parallel silver and gold denominations with coordinated motifs. International catalog reference: KM#578 (Krause/World Coins).