Mexico 5 Pesos 2010 Bicentennial (Miguel Hidalgo): Value & How to Sell

If you inherited or found a 2010 Mexican 5 pesos coin showing Miguel Hidalgo, here is the honest answer first: in circulated condition it is worth a small premium over face value, roughly a few US dollars. The version that carries real value is the proof issue from Banco de México sets, and even that trades in the tens of dollars, not the hundreds. This is not a rare coin, and no version of it is "worth thousands."

Let's break down what you actually have.

What this coin is

This is one of the 5 Pesos Bicentennial commemoratives Mexico issued in 2010 to mark 200 years of independence. The design honors Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the priest who launched the independence movement in 1810. It belongs to the broader 5 Pesos Bicentenario Independencia y Centenario Revolución series, a large program of dozens of different reverses released the same year.

Because the program was so broad, these coins are common. Millions of the circulation pieces went out through banks. That matters for value: a coin the mint made in quantity almost never becomes valuable just because it is a few years old.

Specifications (verify yours against these)

Spec	Detail
Denomination	5 pesos
Year	2010 (single year of issue)
Weight	9.76 grams
Diameter	30.52 mm
Composition	Bimetallic (inner core and outer ring)
Edge	Plain (smooth)
Finish	Circulation strike, plus a limited proof version

The proof version has mirror-like fields and frosted raised design, and it originally came in a Banco de México presentation holder. If yours is loose, dull, and shows wear, you have a circulation coin, not a proof.

What it is actually worth in USD

Here is the realistic picture:

Condition	Approximate value (USD)
Circulated, worn	Around face value to a few dollars
Uncirculated (no wear, luster intact)	A few dollars to about 10 dollars
Proof in original Banxico holder	Roughly 20 to 40 dollars, depending on demand
Certified proof (NGC/PCGS PF69 or PF70)	Can reach 50 to 80 dollars

These are ranges, not fixed prices, because demand for the individual Bicentennial designs shifts. The Hidalgo reverse is one of the more recognizable in the series, which helps a little on the collector side, but it does not make the coin scarce.

The myth to kill: listings that price this coin at hundreds of dollars are wishful thinking, not sales. A price someone asks is not a price someone paid. What matters is what similar pieces have actually sold for, and for this issue that stays in the low double digits at most.

Is it silver? No

A common assumption with older or commemorative Mexican coins is that they contain silver. This one does not. It is bimetallic (base metals), so it has no bullion floor. Its value is entirely collector-driven, which is another reason condition and the original packaging matter more than metal content here.

If you are specifically hunting for silver Mexican coins, that is a different category, and worth understanding before you sort a whole inherited box. See our guide to Mexican silver coins to check what actually contains precious metal.

Errors and varieties

Genuine mint errors (off-center strikes, die rotation, doubled dies) can multiply the value of any coin. But be realistic: most "errors" people spot on modern Mexican coins are post-mint damage, scratches, corrosion, or handling marks, not factory errors. Damage lowers value. A true error is verifiable and rare.

If you think you have a genuine error, do not clean the coin and do not assume. Photograph it and get a second opinion before you count on any premium.

How to tell if yours is genuine

Counterfeits of a low-value modern coin are uncommon, but here is how to confirm:

1. Weigh it. It should be 9.76 grams. A meaningful deviation is a red flag.
2. Measure it. Diameter should be 30.52 mm.
3. Check the relief. Compare the sharpness of the Hidalgo portrait and lettering against official Banco de México images. Fakes tend to look flat and soft.
4. Examine the edge. It should be plain and cleanly finished.
5. For anything you believe is a valuable proof, certification by NGC or PCGS is the definitive answer. It confirms authenticity and assigns a grade in one step.

Where to sell it

For a coin in this value range, keep it simple and avoid paying grading fees that cost more than the coin is worth. Your realistic options:

• A verified numismatic shop in the Pesoteca directory, which can appraise it in person.
• The Pesoteca buy-and-sell forum, where you deal directly with collectors.
• General marketplaces work too, but photograph the front, back, and edge, and state the weight so buyers trust the listing.

Before you sell, confirm your grade against our coin grading guide. A coin's condition is the single biggest factor in what a buyer will pay.

Have a 2010 Bicentennial set, or a whole box of inherited Mexican coins you are trying to sort? Post clear photos in the Pesoteca forum and let collectors help you tell the common from the keepers.

Miguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo y Costilla Gallaga Mandarte y Villaseñor: priest of Dolores and initiator of the War of Independence

Miguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo y Costilla Gallaga Mandarte y Villaseñor (1753-1811) was the priest of Dolores and initiator of the War of Independence during the War of Independence.

This entry corresponds to the variant with the abbreviated MÉXICO legend on the Miguel Hidalgo reverse. In the early hours of September 16, 1810, the bells of the Dolores parish rang the alarm and Hidalgo called on the people to rise against the bad viceregal government. That act is the official starting point of the War of Independence.

Context of the year. The piece is from 2010 and is part of the die variants recorded by Banxico in its official catalog. It differs from the standard Hidalgo entry in minor engraving details.

The reverse of the coin. The reverse of this 5-peso piece shows the portrait of Miguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo y Costilla Gallaga Mandarte y Villaseñor, his engraved signature, and the year 2010, in accordance with the official catalog of the Bank of Mexico for the commemorative series of the Bicentennial of the start of Independence (1810-2010).

Legacy. Hidalgo is the Father of the Nation. The state of Hidalgo and the Miguel Hidalgo borough in Mexico City bear his name. Every September 15 the Grito is reenacted from the central balcony of the National Palace.