The Mexican Mint first struck the Centenario in 1921 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Mexico's independence from Spain, giving the coin its name and running production through 1931 before pausing. Restrikes resumed in 1943 amid rising gold bullion demand and continued through 1972, with a later wave of restrikes from 1996 through 2009 — every restrike carries the original 1921 design and date conventions rather than the actual striking year, a detail that trips up buyers expecting a coin's date to reflect when it was minted. At .900 fine (21.6-karat) with 1.2057 troy oz of actual gold content, it's one of the heaviest and most historically significant sovereign gold bullion coins still regularly traded, though its 50 peso face value is nominal and bears no relationship to its real gold worth.
Unlike every modern series on this site, the Centenario's gold weight (1.2057 troy oz) doesn't correspond to a round modern denomination — it was designed around Mexico's historic 50 peso gold piece rather than a troy-ounce target, so buyers comparing its price to a clean 1 oz coin need to adjust for that extra 0.2057 oz. Because most Centenarios on the market today are restrikes rather than true 1921-1931 originals, a new buyer isn't typically chasing a specific minting year — the coin functions more like an ongoing gold-weight product than a date-collected series.
The dates serious Centenario collectors specifically chase — the rest of the run trades close to melt value.
First struck to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Mexican independence from Spain, giving the coin its name — the original run continued through 1931. Unlike most series on this site, the Centenario's gold content (1.2057 troy oz) doesn't correspond to a round number, since it was designed around the 50 peso denomination rather than a modern troy-ounce target.
Restrikes resumed amid increased gold bullion demand, continuing through 1972 — all restrikes carry the original 1921 design and date conventions rather than the actual year of striking, a detail collectors should understand before assuming a coin's date reflects when it was minted.
Mintage figure pending verification against official mint records.
Read the beginner's guide →
Open the collector's checklist →
Log each coin's year, cost basis, and photos, and see your set's value update with live spot prices — free to start.
Start tracking free1.2057 troy ounces — more than a standard 1 oz coin, since the coin was designed around Mexico's historic 50 peso denomination rather than a round modern troy-ounce target.
Not necessarily — restrikes produced from 1943 through 2009 all carry the original 1921 design and date, so the date stamped on the coin doesn't indicate its actual minting year.
0.900 fine (21.6-karat), alloyed with copper — lower purity than a modern 24-karat coin like the Gold Buffalo, but a durability-focused choice consistent with its early-20th-century origins.