100 Pesos Quintana Roo (2005): Silver Center, Real Value

If you inherited a large, heavy Mexican coin with a silver-colored center, a gold-colored outer ring, and a state crest on the back, you likely have a 100 Pesos from the Mexican States series. The good news: the center is real silver, so it has a value floor above face value. In 2026, most of these trade in the range of roughly 15 to 30 US dollars, with pristine graded examples going higher.

This is not a rare coin, and it is not worth thousands. But it is not junk either. The silver content gives it a hard floor, and collectors building the full 32-coin set will pay a premium for a clean example. Here is exactly what you have and what it is worth.

What this coin actually is

The 100 Pesos Quintana Roo (2005) is a bimetallic coin, meaning two metals in one piece. The center core is silver and the outer ring is a base industrial metal (brass-toned alloy). It is part of the Estados series ("States" series) that the Banco de México, Mexico's central bank, issued to honor each state of the country.

Key specs to confirm you have the real thing:

• Weight: 33.94 grams
• Diameter: 39 mm (large, larger than a US silver dollar)
• Edge: interrupted reeding (grooved sections broken by smooth sections)
• Reverse (back): the coat of arms of the state of Quintana Roo
• Year: 2005

Quintana Roo is the state on the Caribbean coast that includes Cancún and Tulum. It was the final coin issued in the series, released in 2005.

Why the silver center matters for value

The silver core is what gives this coin a value floor. Unlike a pure collector token, a bimetallic coin with real silver will never be worth less than its metal content, called melt value. That is why even a worn, circulated example is worth more than the roughly 5 US dollars its face value converts to.

The rest of the value comes from collector demand. The Estados series was one of Banxico's most ambitious programs of the early 2000s: 32 coins total, one for each state plus the Federal District (Mexico City). Collectors who want the complete set drive demand for clean examples, and that is where the price separates a beat-up coin from a nice one.

What it's worth in 2026

Condition	Typical value (USD)
Circulated, handled, dull	~10 to 15
Uncirculated, original luster	~20 to 30
Certified high grade (NGC/PCGS MS-67+)	40 and up

These figures reflect the silver floor plus normal collector demand. Quintana Roo is not one of the scarcer coins in the series, so do not expect a windfall. If someone tells you a common Estados coin is worth hundreds or thousands in ordinary condition, that is not accurate. The premium comes from certified top grades, not from age.

The myth: "it's old, so it's worth a fortune"

A 2005 coin is not old, and this one is not rare. Where value spikes is grade. A coin that has been cleaned, scratched, or carried in a pocket loses the collector premium and drops toward melt value. A coin still sealed in its original mint packaging, or certified in a high grade by NGC or PCGS, is what earns the higher end of the range.

Genuine mint errors (off-center strikes, die rotation, doubling) can multiply the value if they are real and verifiable. Be careful: most "errors" people post online are post-mint damage (dings, corrosion, or the two metals separating from handling), not factory errors. If you think you have a real one, get a second opinion before assuming it is valuable.

How to check what yours is worth

1. Weigh it. Use a jewelry scale. It should read 33.94 grams. A wrong weight is a red flag for a fake.
2. Measure it. Use calipers. It should be 39 mm across.
3. Inspect the strike. The relief should be sharp, and the silver and brass tones should sit cleanly in their zones. Flat, mushy detail or smeared colors suggest a counterfeit.
4. Grade it honestly. Original shine and no scratches means an uncirculated grade and the higher price. Dull surfaces and marks mean circulated and lower.
5. Get it certified only if it looks pristine. Certification (NGC or PCGS) costs money and only pays off on top-grade examples.

For deeper reference, see our guide to the full Mexican States coin series, our page on how to grade Mexican coins, and the collector marketplace.

Where to sell it

For the best price, use a verified numismatic dealer from the Pesoteca shop directory, where you get an on-the-spot appraisal without inflated middleman markups, or list it in the Pesoteca buy-and-sell forum among collectors who actually want the piece. Photograph the front, back, and edge before you sell, and check the price range above so you are not talked down. Avoid dumping it to the first buyer on a general marketplace.

Have a Quintana Roo 100 Pesos and not sure if it is uncirculated or just clean? Post clear photos in the Pesoteca forum and let collectors weigh in on the grade.

The entry dedicated to Quintana Roo belongs to the first wave of the Cultural phase, issued in 2005 along with most of the set. Banxico called this second stage Emblematic Motifs and replaced the state coat of arms with a specific cultural symbol.

The reverse of the piece shows the Castillo of Tulum on a cliff facing the Caribbean Sea, a Maya fortress-city that operated as a commercial port until the 16th century. Tulum flourished between 1200 and 1500 AD as one of the last active Maya centers when the Spanish arrived. Its Castillo also functioned as a lighthouse for the trading canoes that navigated the coast. Juan de Grijalva sighted it from the sea in 1518. It is an INAH Archaeological Zone and part of Tulum National Park.

State context: Quintana Roo was elevated from Federal Territory to a free state on October 8, 1974, along with Baja California Sur. Its capital, Chetumal, sits on Chetumal Bay, on the border with Belize. It is home to Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and Cozumel, the most important tourist corridor in the country.

In the Mexican numismatic market, the Cultural phase circulated less than the Coat of Arms 2003 and today is usually found in higher grades because it reached the streets late. Banxico's official mintages for this piece are not always published in the Economic Information System, but the figure reported for circulation tends to be around 250,000 pieces per state in the Cultural phase. Always confirm against the catalog of the full 100 pesos States series before closing a large purchase.

The Quintana Roo Coat of Arms 2003 sister is part of the first phase of the series, with the state's official coat of arms on the reverse. Hunting down both pieces completes the set dedicated to Quintana Roo.