100 Pesos Tabasco 2003: Value of the Silver-Center Coin

If you inherited or found a large two-tone Mexican 100 pesos coin marked "Tabasco" dated 2003, here is the honest answer: it is worth its silver content plus a modest collector premium. The center is real Sterling silver, which gives it a hard floor. In 2026, most examples trade in the low tens of dollars, not hundreds.

What this coin actually is

This is one of 32 coins in the first stage of Mexico's "Unión de los Estados" series, issued by the Banco de México (Mexico's central bank) starting in 2003. Each coin honors one Mexican state. This one is dedicated to Tabasco, and the reverse shows the state's official coat of arms: a jaguar on a nopal cactus.

The coin is bimetallic (two metals). The inner disc is Sterling silver, and the outer ring is an aluminum-bronze alloy. That silver center is the whole reason this coin has real floor value, unlike ordinary circulating change.

How much is the 2003 Tabasco 100 pesos worth?

The value comes almost entirely from two things: the silver in the center, and how well the coin was preserved. It is not a rare coin, so do not expect a windfall.

Coin	Year	Silver	Typical value (USD)	Where it trades
100 Pesos Tabasco	2003	Sterling center	~15 to 40 dollars	Coin dealers, collector forums
Same, high grade (BU/MS)	2003	Sterling center	40 to 70+ dollars	Graded coin sales

Those ranges move with the silver market. The Sterling center is small, so its melt value is only a few dollars, but the collector demand for the complete 32-coin set gives the coin a premium above pure metal. An uncirculated example with sharp, satin-finish surfaces sells for more than a worn, handled one.

The most valuable examples are certified in high Mint State grades by NGC or PCGS (the two major US grading services). A raw coin from a drawer is worth the low end. A slabbed MS68 or better can reach the top of the range because set collectors chase condition.

Technical specs (check yours against these)

• Weight: 33.78 grams
• Diameter: 39 mm
• Center: Sterling silver, .925 fineness
• Ring: aluminum-bronze
• Edge: interrupted reeding
• Obverse: Mexican national coat of arms inside the silver center, with the 100 pesos denomination

All 32 coins in the series share that same obverse. Only the reverse changes from state to state.

The myth: "it's silver, so it must be worth a fortune"

It is not. Yes, the center is genuine Sterling, and that matters. But the coin was minted for collectors and the silver disc is small. The reason to keep it is the complete set: assembling all 32 states, plus the related Cultural 2005 pieces issued two years later, is where collectors put their money. A single Tabasco coin on its own is a modest piece.

How to tell if yours is genuine

Fakes of this series exist, but they are usually easy to catch:

1. Weigh it. A jeweler's scale should read close to 33.78 grams. A wrong weight is the fastest red flag.
2. Measure it. The diameter should be 39 mm. Use calipers if you have them.
3. Look at the strike. Genuine coins have crisp relief and a clean line between the silver center and the bronze ring. Flat detail or smeared colors point to a fake or heavy wear.

If your specs match and the strike is sharp, you almost certainly have a real one. For a firm answer, a coin dealer or a grading service can authenticate it.

Errors and varieties

Genuine mint errors (off-center strikes, die rotation, double strikes) can multiply the value of a coin like this. Be careful: most "errors" people post online are post-mint damage, such as dings, scratches, or corrosion, not a factory error. Those add nothing. If you think you have a real error, post clear photos of the obverse, reverse, and edge in the Pesoteca forum and let collectors weigh in.

Where to sell it

To sell the 2003 Tabasco 100 pesos, your safest options are a verified coin dealer, who will appraise it on the spot, or a collector marketplace where set builders are actively buying. Photograph the coin (front, back, and edge), check the range in this listing first, and do not dump it to the first buyer on social media. Selling into the complete-set demand, rather than as loose bullion, gets you the best price.

Start with the Pesoteca dealer directory to find a reputable buyer, or list it in the Pesoteca buy-and-sell forum. If you are near the state, the Tabasco dealer hub lists verified shops with honest reviews. Collecting the whole series? The full 100 pesos States set guide documents all 32 first-stage coins and the Cultural 2005 companions.

Have the Tabasco coin sitting in a drawer, or trying to complete the full 32-state set? Post your photos in the Pesoteca forum and we will help you place it.

The 100-peso Union of the States of the Mexican Republic series began in 2003 with the first stage, called the Coat of Arms stage because the reverse bears the official heraldry of each of the 32 states. The piece dedicated to Tabasco is part of that first block of 32 coins, issued by Banxico under the framework of the Monetary System that has governed the modern peso since the 1993 nuevos pesos reform.

Tabasco has Villahermosa as its capital. It is one of the original states of the Federal Pact of 1824, signed on January 31 of that year. The reverse of the piece shows the state's official coat of arms, without allusions to specific historical episodes: the central motif is the heraldic emblem. For mintages and circulation economic data of each piece in the series, the sources are Banxico's official reports; until verified in the CM10 catalog they are not reported on this listing.