5 Pesos Luis Cabrera 2009: Value & How to Sell

If you found a 2009 Mexican 5 Pesos with Luis Cabrera on it, here is the honest answer: the everyday circulating version is worth about face value, roughly a quarter in USD. The one collectors actually pay for is the proof version with a genuine .925 silver center, still a modest coin worth a few dollars to low double digits, not a fortune.

This is one of many bimetallic 5 Pesos coins Mexico's central bank (Banco de México, or Banxico) minted in 2009 for two commemorative programs: the Centennial of the Mexican Revolution and the Bicentennial of Independence. Luis Cabrera was a constitutionalist thinker tied to the Revolution. His coin is part of that series, so it is not a one-off rarity. Millions of the circulating type went into pockets across Mexico.

What it actually is

There are two very different coins that look almost identical:

• The circulating version. Bimetallic, with an aluminum-bronze outer ring and a plain (non-silver) center. This is the one that turned up in change in Mexico. Worth face value. If you inherited a jar of these, you inherited pocket change.
• The proof version. Sold by Banxico in an official case, with a .925 silver center and a mirror-like proof finish. This is the collectible. Even so, it is a low-value collectible compared to Mexico's real trophies.

Because both share the same design, the packaging and the finish are what separate a few dollars from a few cents.

Specifications (both versions)

Spec	Detail
Weight	9.76 g
Diameter	30.52 mm
Edge	Plain
Alloy	Aluminum-bronze ring; center .925 silver on the proof
Finish	Proof (encapsulated) or regular circulation
Year	2009
Issuer	Banco de México (Banxico)

What it's worth in 2026

Let's be direct. This is not a coin that breaks auction records.

Version	Realistic value (USD)
Circulating, worn	Face value (about 0.25)
Circulating, uncirculated	A few dollars to a collector
Proof with silver center, in original Banxico case	Low single digits to low double digits
Certified proof in high grade (NGC/PCGS)	Higher, depending on grade and demand

The silver center in the proof gives that version a small floor: .925 silver has real metal value, though the silver content here is a fraction of the coin, so melt value is minor. What people pay for is the complete proof set or the individual encapsulated proof with its case and certificate intact.

If you have the plain circulating coin, spend it. If you have the cased proof, keep the case. Removing a proof from its Banxico packaging drops its value.

The "is my rare error coin worth millions" question

Social media is full of claims that ordinary 2009 5 Pesos coins are worth thousands because of a supposed minting error. Almost all of these are false. What people call an "error" is usually post-mint damage: scratches, corrosion, a dent, or a coin that spun in a machine.

Genuine mint errors do exist (off-center strikes, die rotation, doubled strikes) and a verified one can multiply a coin's value. But verified is the key word. A real error is confirmed by a grading service or an experienced numismatist, not by a Facebook video. If you think you have one, get it looked at before you believe the hype.

How to tell if yours is genuine

1. Weigh it. It should be 9.76 g on a jewelry scale. A meaningfully different weight is a red flag.
2. Measure the diameter. 30.52 mm with calipers.
3. Check the relief and color separation. Fakes often show flat, mushy detail or a center that doesn't line up cleanly with the ring.
4. For the proof, confirm the silver center and the case. A real proof has a mirror field and comes in the official Banxico holder with paperwork.

How to check the exact value of yours

Grade drives everything above face value. A worn coin and a flawless one can differ by a wide margin.

• Grade it honestly. Compare against grading photos, or send the proof to NGC or PCGS if you think it's high grade.
• Photograph it. Obverse, reverse, and edge, in good light.
• Compare prices against listings and this page before you sell.

Where to sell it

• A verified coin shop from the Pesoteca directory will value it on the spot with no middleman markup.
• The Pesoteca buy-and-sell forum puts you in front of collectors directly.
• For the circulating type, honestly, it's spending money.

Avoid dumping it to the first bidder on Facebook. Even a modest coin deserves a real quote.

Think you spotted a genuine mint error on your Luis Cabrera 5 Pesos? Post clear photos of the obverse, reverse, and edge in the Pesoteca forum and let the community tell you if it's the real thing or just damage.

Luis Vicente Cabrera Lobato: lawyer, ideologue of Carrancismo and Secretary of Finance

Luis Vicente Cabrera Lobato (1876-1954) was a lawyer, ideologue of Carrancismo and Secretary of Finance during the Mexican Revolution.

Cabrera was the leading intellectual of constitutionalism. In 1915 he drafted the decree of January 6, the first agrarian law of the Revolution, which ordered the restitution of lands to the communities. As Secretary of Finance he pushed for the payment of the foreign debt and the reorganization of the banking system.

Context of the year. The piece is from 2009 and honors the civilian ideologue of Carrancismo. In 1915 the agrarian decree he drafted turned the claim to land into federal law.

The reverse of the coin. The reverse of this 5 pesos piece shows the portrait of Luis Vicente Cabrera Lobato, his engraved signature and the year 2009, in accordance with the Bank of Mexico's official catalog for the commemorative series of the Centennial of the start of the Revolution (1910-2010).

Legacy. He is recognized as the father of the agrarian legislation of constitutionalism. He appears on plaques in the legislative chamber for his role as Carranza's adviser.