Mexican 20 Centavos 2017 (Stainless Steel): What It's Worth

If you found a small silver-colored Mexican coin marked "20¢" dated 2017, here is the honest answer: it is worth about 1 US cent. This is a stainless steel 20 centavos, one of the most common circulating coins in Mexico, with nearly 28 million struck that year. A circulated one never beats its face value.

There is no rare date hiding here and no precious metal to melt. In 2026, the only version worth more than pocket change is a flawless uncirculated example, and even that tops out around 2 US dollars for the right buyer.

What this coin actually is

The "20 centavos" is 20 cents of one Mexican peso. Since the peso trades near 18 to 20 to the US dollar, 20 centavos equals roughly 1 US cent. This is the small steel version that Mexico has issued since 2009, when the Banco de México (Banxico, the central bank) switched the 10, 20 and 50 centavos coins from a bronze-aluminum alloy to stainless steel and shrank their size.

Specifications you can verify:

• Metal: stainless steel (no silver, no gold)
• Weight: 2.258 g
• Diameter: 15.3 mm
• Edge: plain (some international catalogs describe alternating plain and reeded segments)
• Mint mark: Mo, for the Casa de Moneda de México (the Mexican Mint)

The front (obverse) carries the National Coat of Arms, the eagle perched on a cactus devouring a serpent. The back (reverse) shows the value "20¢" with the year above and the Mo mint mark below, framed by a border taken from the Acatl (Reed) glyph, the 13th day-sign of the Aztec Sun Stone. That pre-Hispanic motif runs across the whole stainless steel 20 centavos circulating series.

How much is the 2017 20 centavos worth?

Condition	Realistic value (USD)
Circulated (worn, from change)	Face value, about 1 US cent
Uncirculated (mint state, never spent)	A few cents up to about 2 dollars
Certified high grade (MS65+)	Occasionally a few dollars to a series collector

A loose, circulated piece is worth its face value and nothing more. The only way it climbs is if it is in mint state (uncirculated, kept since issue) or if it carries a genuine, verifiable striking error. Even then, a common date like 2017 depends entirely on finding a collector who wants that specific year for a set.

Is it rare? No.

The Casa de Moneda struck 27,918,363 of these in 2017, according to the Numista registry, all with the Mo mark. That is a high mintage, which is exactly why the coin is everywhere and stays cheap. The date on it, 2017, adds nothing to the value. Rarity comes from grade and survival in perfect condition, not from the year.

There is also no bullion floor. Stainless steel has no collectible metal value the way silver or gold does. So unlike older Mexican silver pesos, this coin cannot be worth "at least its melt." It is worth what a collector or spender will give, and that is a penny.

The myth to drop

People assume an old-looking or foreign coin must be worth a fortune. This one is neither old nor rare. If a listing or video tells you a 2017 20 centavos is worth hundreds or thousands of dollars, ignore it. The real ceiling for a common circulated piece is face value. Only a professionally graded gem or a true mint error changes that math, and those are the exception, not the rule.

How to check what yours is worth

1. Look at the condition. Full luster, sharp details, no wear on the high points means it could be uncirculated. Scratches, dull surfaces and worn edges mean it is a face-value coin.
2. Check for a real error. A genuine off-center strike, double die or wrong-metal error is verifiable and can add value. Discoloration, scratches or post-mint damage do not count.
3. Do not clean it. Cleaning ruins any collector value instantly.
4. Get a second opinion before paying for grading. Certification (NGC or PCGS) usually costs more than a common coin like this is worth.

Where to buy or sell

These trade very cheaply and usually in bulk. If you want to complete the stainless steel 20 centavos series by year, or sell a lot, browse the Pesoteca shop directory for dealers in Mexican circulating coinage. This piece belongs to the modern nuevos pesos era, the reissued peso system Mexico adopted in 1993.

Got a jar of Mexican coins and want to know which ones actually matter? Post a photo of your best pieces in the Pesoteca forum and we'll help you sort the pennies from the keepers.

This 20-centavo piece of 2017 belongs to the C family with a dodecagonal profile issued by Banxico. The 20 centavos are the change coin par excellence in Mexican retail. They serve to complete change at corner stores, stalls, and public transport where the price ends in five or fifteen. They were introduced in 2009 as part of the C family.

The dodecagonal profile, twelve sides, and the stainless steel make them distinct to the touch from the 10- and 50-centavo coins. The polygonal shape is an accessibility signal for people with visual impairment.

In 2017 annual inflation closed at 6.8% according to INEGI and the average exchange rate was 18.93 pesos per dollar according to Banxico's FIX. Earthquakes on September 7 and 19 that devastated the center and south of the country. Inflation of 6.8%, the highest since 2000, driven by the January fuel price hike. Banxico raised the reference rate to 7.25% at year-end. The country was under the Presidency of Enrique Peña Nieto (PRI).

Catalog reference: Krause to be confirmed. The piece is part of the official Banxico Numismatic Collection catalog and follows the convention of the PSM System, one ID per distinct physical piece, not per design shared with other years of the same series.