It is possible, Mike, that you have a valuable coin. But you must be aware of counterfeits. See below.

Puerto Rico issued the same young Alfonso pattern in 10, 20, and 40 centavos denominations, as well as the 1 peso denomination. The 10 and 20 centavos are smaller and less valuable than the larger 40 centavos and 1 peso. A 40 centavos is shown in our primary image. The peso has annotation 1 PESO = 5 PTAS. Remember:

DO NOT CLEAN YOUR COIN. CLEANING RUINS VALUE.

The coin in our picture is plagued with tiny scratches and it appears to be in average circulated condition. The values below are catalog values in US dollars for coins that are free of scratched, spots, stains, cleanings, and other damage.

10 CENTAVOS
worn: $40 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $50
well preserved: $175
fully uncirculated: $375

20 CENTAVOS
worn: $40 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $80
well preserved: $205
fully uncirculated: $425

40 CENTAVOS
worn: $200 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $350
well preserved: $900
fully uncirculated: $2500

1 PESO
worn: $300 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $550
well preserved: $950
fully uncirculated: $2500

These are respectable values. Please use our Important Terminology page (link at upper left) to convert these catalog values to actual buy and sell values.

It is important to be aware that this coin is heavily counterfeited. It is always a good idea to have such coins authenticated and encapsulated by a third party numsimatic grading service. Choose from among the following recognized services: PCGS, NGC, ICG, ANACS (look on the Internet for them) and don't use other services. If you are buying one of these coins, do so only from well-known, nationally recognized dealers.

You might be able to tell if your coin is genuine or fake by comparing it with the image below. The coin on top comes from Heritage Auction Galleries, a world leader in rare coin auctions. It is a genuine Alfonso peso which sold at auction for several hundred US dollars.

Below the Heritage coin is one sent to CoinQuest by a collector name Gary. Do you see the difference between the two? Gary's coin is a counterfeit.



The obvious difference between the two coin images (ignoring the fact that one is professionally photographed and the other is a home snapshot) is the level of detail in the pattern of the coin. The genuine piece is crisp and sharp, with lots of detail. The fake coin is mushy and ill-defined, a result of inferior manufacturing technique.

For many counterfeit coins it is possible sort out the differences using side-by-side comparisons like this one. But the crooks are getting better all the time, and some are now well financed. When in doubt, use a professional service like PCGS, NGC, ICG, or ANACS.

CoinQuest thanks Heritage Auction Galleries in Dallas for use of their coin image. It's a beauty.