1975 Mexican 20 Centavos (Madero, Cupronickel): Value Guide
Prices updated: August 2026
Centavos cupronickel 1975.
Centavos cupronickel 1975.
Design
Banxico
Reverse
Bust of Francisco I. Madero in profile facing right, with the value "20c", the Mexican Mint mark "Mo" and the year of minting. (KM 442, Madero type struck 1974-1983.)
Obverse
Obverse with the Mexican National Coat of Arms and the legend "ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS" per official convention. Struck by the Mexican Mint under a Banxico decree.
How much is the 1975 Mexican 20 Centavos (Madero, Cupronickel): Value Guide worth?
The market value of the 1975 Mexican 20 Centavos (Madero, Cupronickel): Value Guide is not yet documented with enough data to give a firm range. Weigh and measure your piece, compare it against the specifications, and check the forum for a second opinion.
The real price depends on four factors: the grade of preservation (a circulated piece is worth the low end of the range; an uncirculated one, or one still in its official blister pack, the high end), the finish (satin vs mirror/proof), the rarity within the series based on the mintage, and the metal spot price on the day of the deal when the piece is silver or gold. Check the value-by-grade table above and compare with equivalent pieces before buying or selling.
Where to buy or sell this coin?
Browse the national directory of numismatic shops or the community forum to trade directly with other collectors.
Description
If you inherited a 1975 Mexican 20 centavos coin with a man's face on it, here is the honest answer: it is worth a few dollars at most. Mexico struck 611,000,000 of them in 1975 alone, so this is one of the most common coins of its type. It has no silver and no gold. Only a flawless, uncirculated example brings any real premium, and even then we are talking single-digit to low double-digit dollars.
What is this coin?
The portrait is Francisco I. Madero, a leader of the Mexican Revolution and a former president of Mexico. His profile faces right on the reverse, next to the value "20c," the mint mark "Mo" (for the Casa de Moneda de México, the Mexico City Mint), and the year. The front (obverse) shows the Mexican coat of arms, an eagle on a cactus, with the legend "Estados Unidos Mexicanos" (United Mexican States, the country's official name).
This is cataloged as KM 442. It circulated for years before Mexico's 1993 currency reform, back when centavos still had buying power.
Specifications (exact data)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 20 centavos |
| Year covered | 1975 |
| Metal | Cupronickel (75% copper, 25% nickel) |
| Weight | 3 g |
| Diameter | 20 mm |
| Edge | Plain (smooth) |
| Mint | Mexico City (Mo) |
| 1975 mintage | 611,000,000 |
| Catalog | KM 442 |
How much is it actually worth?
Let us be blunt. A circulated 1975 20 centavos is worth pocket change, a few cents to a couple of dollars to a collector, mostly for the convenience of not hunting one down. The metal itself is worthless as bullion: cupronickel is copper and nickel, with no precious metal content, so there is no melt floor to fall back on.
The only version that brings a small premium is a genuinely uncirculated, high-grade coin with no scratches and full, sharp detail in Madero's portrait. Even the best examples top out in the low double-digit dollars, and that is being generous. The value here comes from condition (grade), not scarcity. With 611 million struck, scarcity is not on your side.
Is it rare? No.
This is one of the most common coins in the entire Madero cupronickel series. The 1975 date is abundant. If a seller tells you a 1975 20 centavos is rare or valuable because it is "old," adjust your expectations. Age is not the driver. What makes any coin valuable is a low surviving population plus real collector demand, and this coin has neither.
Variants worth knowing about
The Madero series does include some cataloged varieties. The best known is the so-called "12 pelos" (12 strands of hair) variety found on certain dates, which occasionally sells for more. For 1975 specifically, the standard business-strike coin carries no meaningful premium. If someone is asking a high price citing a variety, confirm it against a catalog before you pay extra. Most of the time it is the common coin.
How to tell if yours is genuine
Counterfeits of a coin this common are essentially nonexistent, because there is no money in faking it. Still, if you want to verify:
- Weight: should be 3 g.
- Diameter: should be 20 mm.
- Color: cupronickel has a grayish-silver tone, never gold or brass.
- Design: Madero's bust with the value "20c," the "Mo" mint mark, and the year on the reverse; the coat of arms on the obverse.
Compare it against a cataloged reference image if anything looks off.
Where to sell it
Because it is so common, you will find it easily among collectors and at coin shops. Do not expect a dealer to pay real money for a circulated example. If you have a complete run or a high-grade piece, that is the situation worth taking to a shop. Check the Pesoteca shop directory to find reputable buyers and sellers near you.
If you are building a set, this coin is a smart, cheap starting point for a full run of cupronickel 20 centavos and a good way to understand the metal transition in Mexican circulating coinage.
Got a box of old Mexican coins and not sure which ones actually matter? Post clear photos on the Pesoteca forum and we will help you sort the pocket change from the pieces worth grading.
Historical context
The cent coins form the base of the Mexican monetary system. Banxico has modified their diameters, materials, and alloys several times over the past decades to optimize minting costs. The 20 centavos cupronickel piece struck in 1975 belongs to the Banxico Colección Numismática catalog documented on its official site.
For Mexican collectors, cent pieces have value when they capture a change of material, a die error, or an atypically low mintage. Banxico publishes annual mintages in CM10 from the year 2000. For earlier pieces the data may not be available. This entry follows the convention of the PSM System, one ID per distinct physical piece, not per shared design.
This piece belongs to the era
México Moderno (pre-1992) →Explore all the Mexican coins of this era, their historical context and how they connect to the monetary system of the period.
Value range of this piece
Value range without enough data for this piece.
See the full breakdown by grade (VG, F, VF, EF, AU, MS-60, MS-63, MS-65) for the whole series →
Other denominations from 1975
Centavos Mexicanos · Cuproníquel
Same denomination, other years
20 centavos Cuproníquel · Centavos Mexicanos
Frequently asked questions
How much is the 1975 Mexican 20 centavos (Madero) worth?
Very little. With 611,000,000 minted in 1975, it is extremely common. A circulated example is worth a few cents to a couple of dollars, and only a flawless uncirculated coin reaches low double-digit dollars. Value depends on grade, not metal.
Is the 1975 20 centavos made of silver?
No. It is cupronickel, 75% copper and 25% nickel, with no silver or gold. That is why it has no bullion value and its entire price depends on condition.
Is the 1975 20 centavos rare?
No. With 611 million struck that year, it is one of the most common coins in the Madero series. Real rarity is essentially zero, so keep price expectations low.
How do I tell if my Madero 20 centavos is genuine?
Check the weight (3 g), diameter (20 mm), and grayish-silver cupronickel color (never gold). The reverse should show Madero's bust with the value 20c, the Mo mint mark, and the year. Compare against a cataloged example if unsure.
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Sources
- Ejemplar de la Coleccion Numismatica Banco de Mexico . inv. 12147
- Ejemplar de la Coleccion Numismatica Banco de Mexico . inv. 17144
- Ejemplar de la Coleccion Numismatica Banco de Mexico . inv. 17324
Images for informational and educational purposes, attributed to their original source. Reference values; the real price depends on the grade, the specific variant and demand.
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