5 Pesos Ricardo Flores Magón 2008: Value & Where to Sell

If you found a 2008 Mexican 5 Pesos coin with Ricardo Flores Magón on it, here is the honest answer: the regular circulation version is worth its face value, roughly 25 to 30 US cents. The one worth real money is the silver proof edition sealed in a Banxico case, and even that trades in the 15 to 40 USD range, not hundreds. This page shows you which one you have and what to do with it.

What this coin actually is

This is a bimetallic (two-metal) commemorative 5 pesos struck by Banco de México (Banxico, the Mexican central bank) in 2008. It was part of the "Centenario de la Revolución Mexicana" series, a run of coins marking the 100th anniversary of the 1910 Mexican Revolution. This particular design honors Ricardo Flores Magón, a Mexican political writer and anarchist thinker from the revolutionary era.

The key detail for value: there are two very different versions of this coin, and they are worth wildly different amounts.

The two versions and what each is worth

1. The circulation coin (the common one). This is the everyday version that entered general use in Mexico. It has a base-metal center, not silver. If you pulled this out of a jar of foreign change or an inherited coin box, this is almost certainly what you have. Value: face value. That is 5 Mexican pesos, or about 25 to 30 US cents at current exchange rates. Uncirculated examples might bring a small premium from a collector, but do not expect more than 1 to 3 USD.

2. The silver proof (the one collectors want). Banxico also issued a proof version with a genuine .925 sterling silver center, sold in an official presentation case with a certificate. "Proof" means it was struck with polished dies for a mirror-like finish, made for collectors rather than spending. This is the version that carries real value, typically 15 to 40 USD depending on condition and whether it still has its original Banxico case and paperwork.

How to tell them apart fast: the proof is sealed or comes boxed, has a mirror shine, and its center ring is real silver. The circulation version looks like ordinary pocket change with a duller finish.

Specifications (both versions)

Feature	Detail
Face value	5 pesos
Year	2008
Weight	9.76 g
Diameter	30.52 mm
Edge	Smooth (plain)
Composition	Aluminum-bronze outer ring; silver .925 center (proof)
Finish	Proof (encapsulated) and regular circulation
Issuer	Banco de México (Banxico)

Value by version and condition

Version	Condition	Approx. value (USD)
Circulation	Worn	Face value (~0.25)
Circulation	Uncirculated	1 to 3
Silver proof	No case	12 to 20
Silver proof	Original Banxico case + certificate	20 to 40

These are collector-market ranges. The silver proof also has a floor tied to its metal content: the .925 silver center is small, so its melt value is modest, but it keeps the coin from ever being worthless.

The myth to ignore

Commemorative coins from the 2000s are recent and were made in large numbers, so no version of this piece is a rare treasure. If a listing claims this 2008 coin is worth hundreds or thousands of dollars, that is wishful pricing, not what it sells for. Real value comes from the silver proof edition, and even that stays in the low tens of dollars. For context on which Mexican coins genuinely command high prices, see our guide to the most valuable Mexican coins.

How to tell if yours is genuine

Fakes of a low-value coin like this are uncommon, but if you want to verify:

• Weigh it. A jewelry scale should read 9.76 g. Off-weight coins are suspect.
• Measure the diameter. It should be 30.52 mm. Use calipers.
• Check the finish. A real proof has crisp, sharp relief and a mirror background. Flat, mushy detail or uneven color points to a problem.
• Confirm the silver. On the proof, the center should be true silver, not a plated look.

Most "error coins" people post online are actually post-mint damage (scratches, corrosion, dings), not factory mint errors. Genuine mint errors like off-center strikes or die rotation can add value, but they are rare and need verification. If you think you have one, post clear photos in the Pesoteca forum and let the community weigh in.

Where to sell it

If you have the common circulation coin, honestly it is not worth the effort to sell one piece; it is worth spending or keeping as a curiosity. If you have the silver proof with its case, here are your options:

• A verified coin shop from the Pesoteca dealer directory, which can appraise it on the spot.
• The Pesoteca buy-and-sell forum, where collectors trade directly.

Before selling, photograph the obverse (front), reverse (back), and edge, and compare your coin to the value ranges above. Do not dump it to the first buyer on social media.

Have a boxed silver proof or think you spotted a genuine mint error? Post your photos in the Pesoteca forum and we will help you pin down exactly what it is.

Ricardo Flores Magon: journalist, anarchist and ideological forerunner of the Revolution

Ricardo Flores Magon (1874-1922) was a journalist, anarchist and ideological forerunner of the Revolution during the Mexican Revolution.

Flores Magon founded, with his brother Enrique, the newspaper Regeneracion in 1900 and from its pages attacked the Porfirian regime. In 1906 the Mexican Liberal Party published its program from exile in the United States, with demands for an eight-hour workday, a minimum wage and land redistribution. He died in Leavenworth prison, Kansas, in 1922.

Context of the year. The piece is from 2008 and honors the precursor phase of the movement. In 1906 the Magonista program anticipated several of the rights that the Constitution of 1917 would take up a decade later.

The reverse of the coin. The reverse of this 5 pesos piece shows the portrait of Ricardo Flores Magon, his engraved signature and the year 2008, 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 considered the father of Mexican libertarian thought. His remains rest in the Rotunda of Illustrious Persons. The municipality of Ricardo Flores Magon in Chihuahua bears his name.