8 Reales Resplandor, Hermosillo 1878: Value & Silver Content

If you inherited or found an 1878 8 Reales Resplandor from the Hermosillo mint, here is the honest answer: in worn condition it trades close to its silver value, roughly 18 to 25 USD as of 2026. Clean, high-grade examples of this Hermosillo date can bring several hundred dollars to collectors, because the mint mark and year matter more than age.

This is a large silver coin. It contains 27.07 grams of 0.900 fine silver, which gives it a floor value: it can never be worth less than the metal inside. That floor moves with the silver spot price, so a beat-up example is essentially a chunk of silver plus a small collector premium.

What this coin actually is

The 8 Reales Resplandor ("Resplandor" means "radiance," referring to the sunburst design) was Mexico's workhorse silver dollar for most of the 19th century. It circulated worldwide, from China to the United States, which is why so many survive today. Yours was struck in 1878 at the Hermosillo mint in the state of Sonora, identified by the Ho mint mark on the coin.

Key specs to confirm what you have:

• Denomination: 8 Reales
• Year: 1878
• Mint: Hermosillo (Ho mint mark)
• Metal: Silver, 0.900 fine (0.9028 under the old octaval standard)
• Weight: 27.07 grams
• Diameter: 39 millimeters
• Edge: Reeded

Obverse (front): A Phrygian cap over a radiant sunburst, with the word LIBERTAD ("Liberty"). This is the design that gives the coin its nickname.

Reverse (back): The Mexican eagle facing forward, devouring a serpent on a cactus, with the legend REPÚBLICA MEXICANA. This coin was struck under the Restored Republic and early Porfiriato, part of the octaval standard that stayed in use until the 1905 monetary reform.

What it's worth in 2026

Age is not what drives the price here. Millions of 8 Reales were struck across many mints and years, so the coin itself is common. What separates a 20-dollar piece from a several-hundred-dollar piece is grade (how worn it is) and, for Hermosillo, the specific date and assayer combination, since some are scarcer than the big Mexico City output.

Grade	What it looks like	Approx. value (USD)
Well worn (VG-Fine)	Design flat, readable	18 to 30
Lightly circulated (VF-XF)	Full detail, some wear	35 to 90
About Uncirculated (AU)	Minimal wear, luster present	100 to 250
Mint State (MS, certified)	No wear, original luster	300 and up

These are collector ranges for a genuine, problem-free coin. Cleaned, scratched, or holed examples sell for less, often just melt value. The Hermosillo mint produced fewer coins than Mexico City, so a scarce Hermosillo date in high grade can outperform these numbers.

The myth to kill

A lot of sellers online will tell you any 19th-century Mexican silver dollar is a rare treasure worth thousands. For the vast majority of 8 Reales, that is false. These circulated by the millions. Unless yours is a rare date, a scarce mint, or a genuine certified mint-state example, you are looking at silver value plus a modest premium, not a fortune.

Genuine mint errors (off-center strikes, die rotations, double strikes) can multiply the value if verified. But most "errors" people post online are post-mint damage: bag marks, corrosion, or dings. Those add nothing.

How to tell if yours is genuine

Counterfeits of 19th-century Mexican silver are common, both period fakes and modern ones. Check these:

1. Weigh it. A jeweler's scale should read close to 27.07 grams. A significant miss is a red flag.
2. Measure it. Diameter should be 39 millimeters. Use calipers.
3. Check the edge. It should be reeded (fine vertical lines), not smooth or seamed.
4. Study the strike. Look at the mint mark (Ho) and assayer initials. Fakes often have mushy, incorrect, or misplaced lettering.
5. Be suspicious of underpriced offers. Anything priced below the silver value is almost always fake or damaged.

For real money, get it certified by NGC or PCGS. A slabbed coin sells faster and for more, and settles the authenticity question. See our guide to coin grading to estimate your grade before you spend on certification.

Where to sell it

To sell an 8 Reales Resplandor safely:

• A verified coin shop from the Pesoteca dealer directory will appraise it on the spot and pay fairly.
• The Pesoteca buy-and-sell forum connects you directly with collectors, who often pay more than dealers for scarce dates.

Before selling, photograph the obverse, reverse, and edge, and check the grade ranges above. Since this is a precious-metal coin, only deal with buyers who will weigh and inspect the piece in front of you. Don't dump it on the first Facebook offer, and never pay a middleman a markup.

Want a second opinion on your Hermosillo 1878 before you sell? Post clear photos of both sides on the Pesoteca forum and let collectors weigh in on the grade and value.

In 1878 Porfirio Diaz was in his first presidential term. Consolidation of the Porfirian order with an emphasis on pacification, railroads, and foreign capital.

The Hermosillo mint (Ho) was established in 1835 to handle Sonora's silver without depending on Alamos. It closed in 1895 with the centralizing reform of the Porfiriato.

Ho pieces have low mintages compared with Mexico City or Zacatecas. Late years (1893-1895) are harder to find in good grade.

As a catalog reference, this mint's variant is listed as KM#377.9 in Krause. The piece is silver at .9028 fineness with a reeded edge and a theoretical weight of 27.07 grams. The 1878 example from Hermosillo, Sonora corresponds to the middle stage of the mint (1835-1895) and is identified on the coin by the Ho mint mark.

The collector building the series by mint usually hunts the Ho examples of the 1870s cycle in lots or peer-to-peer trades, avoiding middleman resale. It's worth confirming that the piece has a weight close to 27 grams (minting tolerance) and a diameter of 39 millimeters. Pieces resurfacing from local hoards appear periodically in the market and are the best window for obtaining high grade without a markup.