Mexican 50 Pesos (Centenario)
Mexico · gold · 1921-1947 (refrappes datées 1947)
Overview
The Mexican 50 pesos, known as the Centenario, was created in 1921 for the centenary of Mexico's independence and struck until 1947; pieces struck afterwards all carry the date 1947. The obverse shows the Winged Victory of the Independence Column in Mexico City before the volcanoes Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl; the reverse the eagle devouring the serpent on the nopal, the national emblem. It is one of the heaviest common gold coins: 41.67 g of 900 ‰ gold, that is 37.5 g of fine gold, a content spelled out on the coin itself, with a diameter of 37 mm. Its size and careful strike make it an easy coin to examine, but also a target for gilt copies, which weight and diameter betray at once. At Gold & Silver Company in Dottignies, every Centenario is weighed and appraised in front of the person; the assay in the agency is what counts.
Characteristics
| Country | Mexico |
|---|---|
| Metal | gold |
| Gross weight | 41.67 g |
| Fineness | 900 ‰ |
| Fine metal | 37.5 g |
| Diameter | 37 mm |
| Years of issue | 1921-1947 (refrappes datées 1947) |
How to check it
Indicative check: weigh the coin to the centigram and measure its diameter with callipers; a deviation of more than 0.1 g or 0.2 mm from the reference values warrants an examination in the agency. The assay in the agency is what counts.
At Gold & Silver Company
Every coin is weighed and appraised in front of the person, at the agency in Dottignies (Mouscron); the price is set at the rate of the moment of the transaction and is never published in advance.
Welcome policy: for gold, Gold & Silver Company receives by appointment from one kilogram; below that, no appointment is needed during opening hours; for silver, no appointment is needed whatever the quantity.
Related terms
Further reading
Sources
Characteristics checked against the reference numismatic catalogues and the issuers' official specifications (September 2026). The appraisal in the agency is what counts.