1987 Mexico 50 Pesos (Cupronickel): Value & How to Sell

If you inherited or found a 1987 Mexican 50 pesos coin, here is the honest answer: this is a common cupronickel circulation coin, not silver, and in worn condition it is worth roughly its face value, often just a few cents to a couple of dollars in USD. A pristine, uncirculated example can bring more from a collector, but nobody is retiring on this one. Below are the real numbers and how to check what yours is worth.

Quick answer: what is it worth?

The 1987 50 pesos was made of cupronickel (a copper-nickel alloy), so it has no precious metal value and no melt floor to speak of. Value comes entirely from condition and collector demand.

• Circulated (worn): essentially face value, roughly a few cents to about 1 USD.
• Uncirculated (no wear, original luster): typically 2 to 8 USD depending on how sharp it is.
• Certified high grade (MS-65 and up from NGC or PCGS): occasionally 15 to 40 USD, but you have to pay for grading first, which usually is not worth it for a coin this common.

These are collector prices between hobbyists, not what a bank or a pawn shop will hand you. Most 1987 50 pesos coins that turn up in a drawer are worth pocket change.

Value by grade

What the coin actually is

This is a standard-issue circulation coin from the Casa de Moneda de México (the Mexican Mint), struck during the "old pesos" era before the 1993 currency revaluation that removed three zeros from the peso.

Specifications:

• Denomination: 50 pesos (old pesos)
• Year: 1987
• Metal: Cupronickel (copper-nickel alloy)
• Weight: 8.57 grams
• Diameter: 23.53 mm
• Edge: Reeded (grooved)
• Mint mark: "Mo" (Mexico City mint)

Obverse (front): The Mexican national coat of arms (an eagle on a cactus devouring a serpent) with the inscription "ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS" (United Mexican States, the country's official name).

Reverse (back): The face value "50" with the mint year "1987" and the "Mo" mint mark of the Casa de Moneda de México.

Is it rare? Is it silver?

No on both counts. It is not silver, it is cupronickel, so anyone telling you to check the melt value is wrong here. And it is not rare: these were produced for everyday circulation and millions passed through Mexican hands. The old-pesos era ended when Mexico introduced the "nuevo peso" in 1993, which is why these coins feel outdated, but old and rare are not the same thing. Age alone adds almost nothing to a common circulation coin.

If you are hoping for a genuine rarity, the pieces that move real money are Mexican gold like the Centenario 50 pesos gold coin or scarce silver dates, not modern cupronickel.

When a 1987 50 pesos is actually worth more

Two things can lift the price above pocket change:

1. True mint state. A coin with full original luster and no wear, ideally still sealed in a Banxico (Bank of Mexico) blister pack, is worth a small premium to collectors who want a clean type example.
2. A genuine mint error. Real striking errors (off-center strikes, die rotation, double strikes) can multiply the value. The catch: most "errors" people post online are post-mint damage, meaning dings, scratches, or corrosion that happened after the coin left the mint. That kind of damage lowers value, it does not raise it.

How to tell if yours is genuine

Counterfeiting a low-value circulation coin is uncommon, but if you want to confirm:

• Weigh it. It should be 8.57 grams on a jewelry scale.
• Measure it. Diameter should be 23.53 mm with calipers.
• Check the detail. Genuine strikes have crisp relief. Flat, mushy detail or uneven color is a red flag.

Wrong weight, wrong diameter, or a soft strike points to a fake or a damaged piece. Compare against the specs above.

Where to sell it

Before you sell, photograph the coin (front, back, and edge) and match your condition to the grade table above so you know the ballpark.

• Verified coin shops. A shop from the Pesoteca dealer directory can value it on the spot without an inflated markup.
• Collector marketplace. The Pesoteca buy-and-sell forum puts you in front of collectors who actually want the coin.
• Skip the fire sale. Dumping it to the first buyer on social media usually means leaving money on the table, or getting misled about what it is.

Be realistic: for a common circulated 1987 50 pesos, grading fees or shipping can cost more than the coin is worth. High-value pieces make sense to certify; this one usually does not.

Not sure whether yours is just circulated or a genuine mint-state example? Post clear photos of both sides on the Pesoteca forum and let the community grade it for you.

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 pressures: .720 silver in the $1, $5, $10 and $25 denominations during the 1940s-50s; cupronickel from the 1970s on; aluminum bronze and stainless steel in the 1980s; pieces bearing historical figures (Hidalgo, Cuauhtemoc, Juarez, Madero) in the late 1980s just before the transition to Nuevos Pesos in 1992. 1987 corresponds to the period when this variant was in circulation.