1985 Mexico 20 Pesos (Guadalupe Victoria) Brass Coin: Value & How to Sell

If you inherited or found a gold-colored Mexican 20 Pesos dated 1985, here is the honest answer: in circulated condition it is worth a few cents to a couple of US dollars, not a fortune. Around 25 million were struck in 1985 alone. It contains no silver and no gold. The value comes only from top condition and a few specific date varieties.

This is one of the most common Mexican coins of the 1980s, so most people who bring one in are disappointed. That does not mean yours is worthless. Read on to see what actually moves the price and how to check whether you have a common piece or one of the sought-after varieties.

What this coin actually is

The 1985 20 Pesos is a brass coin (aluminum-bronze alloy, sometimes wrongly called "bronze"), which is why it has that yellow-gold tone. It is not precious metal. Here are the exact specs:

• Weight: 5.97 grams
• Diameter: 21.07 mm
• Edge: reeded
• Alloy: aluminum-bronze (no silver, no gold)
• Mint: Casa de Moneda de México (the Mexican Mint), marked "Mo"

The portrait on the coin is Guadalupe Victoria, the first president of Mexico. This design ran on the 20 Pesos from 1985 through 1990. The other side carries the Mexican coat of arms (the eagle) with the legend "Estados Unidos Mexicanos." It belongs to the last years of the "old peso" before Mexico's 1993 currency reform, when inflation pushed denominations up and cheaper metals like brass replaced more expensive ones.

How much is a 1985 20 Pesos worth?

Be realistic. This was pocket-change money that passed hand to hand at the market and on the bus, and almost nobody set them aside. That combination, high mintage plus low survival in top grade, is exactly what keeps circulated prices low.

Uncirculated examples with the original luster intact are no longer that common, precisely because they were spent, not saved. In this coin, condition decides value far more than the date does.

The date varieties worth checking

The 1985 date has three recognized varieties based on the shape of the number 5:

1. Open narrow 5
2. Open wide 5
3. Closed wide 5

Grab a loupe or your phone camera and look closely at that 5. Some of these varieties trade above the common version, so it is worth the two-minute check before you assume yours is ordinary.

The myth: "is my silver Mexican coin worth money?"

A lot of people find this coin and hope it is silver because of the metallic look. It is not. The gold tone is brass. There is zero precious-metal content, so there is no melt value floor and the metals spot price is irrelevant here. If you want actual Mexican silver, that is a different set of coins entirely. See our guides on genuine silver pieces to compare.

How to tell if yours is genuine

Counterfeits of a low-value brass coin are rare, but confirm it anyway:

• Weight should be close to 5.97 grams on a jewelry scale.
• Diameter should be 21.07 mm.
• Edge must be reeded (grooved).
• The reverse shows Guadalupe Victoria with the five Braille dots above.
• The obverse shows the national coat of arms.
• Look for the Mo mint mark, confirming it came from the Mexican Mint.

If the weight, diameter, and edge all match and the design is sharp, you have a genuine circulation strike.

Where to sell it

If yours is circulated, it will bring very little, and shipping may cost more than the coin. If it is uncirculated or one of the scarcer 1985 varieties, take it to collectors rather than a generic buyer. Identify your variety and grade first so you are not guessing, then find serious buyers of Mexican coins from this period. Our shop directory can point you to real dealers instead of lowball offers.

Before you sell (or buy), knowing exactly which variety you hold changes the number. Head to the Pesoteca forum and post a clear photo of both sides and the number 5: which 1985 variety do you have?

Mexican circulating peso coins of the second half of the 20th century were struck in alloys that changed according to the cost of metals and inflationary processes: .720 silver in the $1, $5, $10, $25 denominations during the 1940s-50s; cupronickel starting in the 1970s; aluminum bronze and stainless steel in the 1980s; pieces featuring historical figures (Hidalgo, Cuauhtemoc, Juarez, Madero) in the late 1980s just before the transition to New Pesos in 1992. 1985 corresponds to the period when this variant was in circulation.