5 Pesos 2008 Ramos Arizpe (Bicentenario): Value & Prices

If you inherited or found a Mexican 5 pesos coin dated 2008 with a portrait of Miguel Ramos Arizpe, here is the honest answer up front: the regular circulating version is worth about 25 to 50 US cents, its face value. Only the silver proof edition, sold in a Banxico case, carries real collector value. Below are the numbers and how to tell which one you have.

This coin belongs to a large series Mexico's central bank (Banxico) issued for the Bicentennial of Independence and Centennial of the Revolution. There are more than 30 different bimetallic 5 peso designs in that program, each honoring a historical figure. Ramos Arizpe is one of them, a politician remembered as a founding voice of Mexican federalism. Because so many were struck for everyday use, the common version is not rare.

What it actually looks like

The coin is bimetallic (two metals): an outer ring and a center core. This is the same format as many circulating commemoratives, so it is easy to confuse with the others in the series. The identifying detail is the portrait and name of Miguel Ramos Arizpe and the date 2008.

Technical specifications:

• Weight: 9.76 g
• Diameter: 30.52 mm
• Edge: Plain (smooth)
• Alloy (circulating): aluminum-bronze ring, cupronickel-type center
• Alloy (proof): outer ring aluminum-bronze, center core in .925 sterling silver
• Finish: circulating strike and a proof (encapsulated) version

The difference between the two versions is the center. The proof coin has a solid sterling silver (.925 fineness) center, comes with a Banxico case and certificate, and shows a mirror-like proof finish. The circulating coin has a plain base-metal center and was made for pocket change.

How much is it worth?

Version	What to look for	Approximate value (USD)
Circulating 5 pesos	Base-metal center, worn or shiny from change	Face value, about 0.30 to 0.50
Circulating, uncirculated	No wear, full luster	1 to 4
Proof, .925 silver center	Mirror finish, Banxico case	15 to 40, depending on demand
Full 3-coin or complete set (sealed)	Original packaging intact	Higher, sold as a set

Be realistic. The circulating version is not a fortune coin. Its value is essentially what it says on the face. Where value appears is the silver proof, and even then this is a modestly priced modern commemorative, not a rarity. Anyone telling you a common 2008 5 pesos is worth hundreds of dollars is wrong.

The myth about "errors worth thousands"

Mint errors (off-center strikes, die rotation, double strikes) can raise the value of a genuine coin. But most of the "errors" people post online are post-mint damage: dings from circulation, corrosion, or a center that got loose because the coin was mishandled. That is damage, not a factory error, and it lowers value. If you think you have a real error, get it looked at by collectors before assuming it is money.

How to tell which version you have

1. Look at the center core. A dull gray, magnetic-feeling base metal means circulating. A bright, mirror-like center suggests the silver proof.
2. Check for a Banxico case and certificate. The proof was sold packaged. A loose coin found in a drawer is almost always the circulating type.
3. Weigh and measure it. Use a jewelry scale and a caliper and compare to the specs above (9.76 g, 30.52 mm). Fakes often miss the weight or diameter, or show flat relief.

How to check authenticity

Start with weight and diameter against the numbers in the spec table. Genuine coins hit the mark closely. Warning signs include flat, mushy detail, colors bleeding across the ring and center, or a weight that is off. For the silver proof, third-party grading (NGC or PCGS) confirms both authenticity and grade and is worth it if you plan to sell the proof.

Where to sell it

• A verified coin shop from the Pesoteca shop directory will value it on the spot.
• The Pesoteca buy-and-sell forum connects you with collectors directly.
• For the common circulating coin, it may simply be worth its face value, and it will not command a premium at a dealer.

Before you sell, photograph the obverse, reverse, and edge, and compare against the value ranges above. Do not dump it on social media to the first buyer.

If you want more on this whole series, see our guides on Mexican commemorative coins and how to grade a coin's condition.

Have the 2008 Ramos Arizpe or another coin from the Bicentennial series? Post clear photos on the Pesoteca forum and the community will tell you exactly which version you are holding.

José Miguel Ramos Arizpe: priest, deputy at the Cortes of Cadiz and father of Mexican federalism

José Miguel Ramos Arizpe (1775-1843) was a priest, deputy at the Cortes of Cadiz and father of Mexican federalism during the War of Independence.

Ramos Arizpe was deputy for Coahuila at the Cortes of Cadiz between 1810 and 1814, where he defended provincial rule against peninsular centralism. Back in Mexico he drafted the Constitutive Act of the Federation in 1823, the basis of the Mexican federal system enshrined in the Constitution of 1824.

Context of the year. The piece is from 2008 and honors the diplomatic and institutional role of the movement. While other insurgents fought on the battlefield, Ramos Arizpe waged the political struggle in Spain.

The reverse of the coin. The reverse of this 5 pesos piece shows the portrait of José Miguel Ramos Arizpe, his engraved signature and the year 2008, in accordance with the Bank of Mexico's official catalog for the commemorative series of the Bicentennial of the start of Independence (1810-2010).

Legacy. The municipality of Ramos Arizpe in Coahuila and several teachers' colleges bear his name. He is regarded as the ideologist of Mexican federalism.