1/2 Real Fernando VI 1747: Value & How to Sell

If you inherited a small, worn silver coin dated 1747 with a Spanish king's name, you have a genuine piece of colonial Mexican silver. Most examples in circulated condition trade for roughly 20 to 60 USD. Sharp, problem-free coins and certified specimens can reach several hundred dollars. Here is what actually drives that value.

What you actually have

The 1/2 Real of Fernando VI, dated 1747, was struck at the Mexico City mint while Mexico was still a Spanish colony (the Virreinato, or Viceroyalty). "1/2 Real" was a small denomination of the Spanish colonial monetary system: the real was the base unit, and this is a half-real, one of the smaller silver coins in daily use at the time.

The specifications are fixed and worth checking against your coin, because they are your first authenticity test:

• Metal: Silver, 0.900 fine (90% pure silver)
• Weight: 1.63 grams
• Diameter: 16 millimeters
• Edge: Laureate (decorative, not plain)
• Era: Colonial / Viceroyalty
• Mint: Mexico City

Because this is a small, low-purity-by-weight coin, its melt value in silver is only a fraction of a dollar. The value here is numismatic, not bullion. Nobody is buying a 1747 half-real for the metal.

What it's worth in 2026

Condition drives almost everything with a coin this old. A 275-year-old silver coin that circulated hand to hand for decades is usually heavily worn, and worn colonial minors are common enough that they stay affordable. The jump in value comes when a coin is sharp, evenly struck, and free of cleaning, holes, or corrosion.

Condition	Approximate value (USD)
Heavily worn / damaged	10 to 25
Circulated, honest wear, no problems	25 to 70
Sharp detail, minimal wear	80 to 250
Certified high grade (NGC / PCGS)	250 to 600+

These are guide ranges. Colonial coins of this size vary a lot by strike quality and eye appeal, so two coins in "the same grade" can sell for very different money. Use the conservation grade guide to place your coin honestly before you assume the high end.

Why old does not mean valuable

The most common mistake we see: assuming a coin from the 1700s must be worth a fortune because it is old. It usually is not. Spain minted enormous quantities of small silver in Mexico for centuries, and many survived. A worn 1747 half-real is a nice historical object worth a modest sum, not a windfall.

What would move it into serious money is a strong grade, a scarce die variety verified by a grading service, or exceptional preservation. Those are the exceptions, not the rule.

How to tell if yours is genuine

Counterfeits and modern cast copies of colonial silver exist, so run these checks before you get excited or pay anyone:

1. Weigh and measure it. A genuine coin should be very close to 1.63 grams and 16 millimeters. A digital jewelry scale settles most fakes instantly. Off weight or oversized diameter is a red flag.
2. Check the edge. This issue has a laureate (patterned) edge, not a smooth one. A blank, flat edge on a coin claiming to be this type is suspicious.
3. The ping test. Real 0.900 silver gives a high, ringing tone when balanced on a fingertip and tapped gently. Cast fakes and base-metal copies sound dull and short.
4. Get it certified for the valuable ones. If your coin is sharp and you think it could be worth a few hundred dollars, submit it to NGC or PCGS. Their holder confirms authenticity and grade, which is what serious buyers pay for.

Where to sell it (and get a fair price)

Since this is precious metal with real collector demand, you have options, but they are not equal:

• Verified coin dealers. Use the Pesoteca dealer directory to find a shop that will appraise and buy on the spot. Best route if you want a fast, safe sale with no counterparty risk.
• Collector-to-collector. The Pesoteca buy/sell forum puts you in front of people who actually collect colonial Mexican silver and will pay for the right coin.
• US auction houses and eBay. For a certified, high-grade example, a specialist auction or a well-photographed listing can reach the strongest prices. For raw circulated coins, fees can eat most of the value.

Whatever route you choose, photograph the obverse, reverse, and edge, and only deal with buyers who let you verify the coin before money changes hands. Never accept a lowball from the first person who offers.

Have a 1747 half-real, or a whole box of old Spanish colonial silver you can't identify? Post clear photos of both sides and the edge on the Pesoteca forum and the community will help you pin down the type, grade, and a realistic price.

Numismatic type: Pillar (Columnario).

Edge: Laureate.