Mexico 1,000 Pesos Banknote (1978): Value & Prices

Most 1978 Mexican 1,000-peso notes are worth a few US dollars, not a fortune. In circulated condition this note trades for roughly 3 to 8 USD among collectors. A crisp uncirculated example, or one with a low or special serial number, can reach 20 to 40 USD or more. In 2026, that is the honest range for this Banco de México note.

This is the 1,000-peso note featuring Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1648-1695), the Hieronymite nun and poet often called the Tenth Muse, one of the greatest writers in the Spanish language. The old peso it is denominated in was replaced in 1993 by the "nuevo peso" at 1,000 old pesos to 1 new peso, so the face value in modern money is essentially symbolic. Its worth today is collector value, driven by condition, serial number, and any genuine printing error.

What the note looks like

According to the Banco de México circular, the front portrait reproduces part of the painting by Miguel Cabrera, the 18th-century Oaxacan artist. Beside Sor Juana sits a medallion of San Jerónimo (Saint Jerome), founder of the order she belonged to, framed by acanthus leaves. The back shows a colonial plaza with its church in the viceregal style of Mexico City, where she lived and wrote.

This is series (family) A of the Banco de México. Do not confuse it with the 1977 version of the same denomination, which shows Cuauhtémoc and the pyramid at Chichén Itzá. Two different designs, same face value.

What it is worth in 2026

The note is out of circulation, so any value is collector value. Condition rules everything.

Condition / feature	Approximate value (USD)
Circulated, folds and wear	3 to 8
About uncirculated, minor handling	10 to 20
Crisp uncirculated (UNC)	20 to 40
Low serial, radar/palindrome serial, or first series	40 and up
Genuine printing error (misalignment, ink smear, factory fold)	Several times the above

These are collector ranges, not guarantees. World paper money (notaphily) is an active English-language market, and prices move with grade and demand. A note that has been washed, pressed, or repaired loses value, so leave it as found.

What raises the value

Three things turn a common note into one collectors chase:

1. Grade. Uncirculated, no folds, sharp corners, full color. This is the single biggest factor.
2. Serial number. A low serial (like 0000123), a radar/palindrome (reads the same both ways), or a note from an early print run commands a premium.
3. Genuine printing errors. Misaligned cuts, smeared ink, factory folds, or off-center serials. Note that normal wear and handling damage is not a factory error.

How to tell if yours is genuine

Check the security features against official Banco de México images: the watermark held to the light, the security thread, the printed detail and feel of the paper, and the signatures. Genuine notes from this era use quality paper with layered engraving. Reproductions and photocopies tend to have smooth, flat paper and dull, flat colors. If you are unsure, post clear photos of both sides on the Pesoteca forum and the community will help you check.

Where to sell it

To sell the 1978 1,000-peso note without getting lowballed, your safest options are a verified numismatic shop from the Pesoteca shop directory, which can appraise it on the spot, or the Pesoteca buy-and-sell forum among collectors. Photograph both faces in good light, and check for a low serial, a radar number, or any error, all of which raise the price. Avoid dumping it to the first bidder on social media.

Want to know more about spotting fakes and premiums? See our guide to the most counterfeited banknotes in Mexico.

Have a clean example or an odd serial number? Post it on the forum and let the community weigh in on what it is worth.

This 1,000 pesos of 1978 pays homage to Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, the Tenth Muse, a Hieronymite poet and scholar of the seventeenth century and a major figure in the letters of New Spain. Her portrait follows the famous painting by Miguel Cabrera that shows her in her library, and it is accompanied by the medallion of Saint Jerome, an allusion to her religious order.

The reverse presents a colonial plaza of Mexico City with its church, an image of the viceregal setting in which the nun's life unfolded.

The piece is part of the "old pesos" of Family A. Its thousand-peso denomination, high for the time, reflects the growing loss of value of the peso in the late 1970s; the inflationary crisis of the 1980s would shortly lead to the printing of notes of far larger figures, until the 1993 reform removed three zeros from the currency.