Guatemala Peso 1882 to 1889

Kerry, that's quite a collectible coin you have there!

The state of Guatemala used this specific design for their pesos only for two years - in 1882 and 1889. The 1882 issue features the letters 'A.E.' while the 1889 issue has the letters 'MG' - these are initials of the assayer working at the mint at the time.

The obverse has a beautiful laureate bust facing left, while the reverse is decorated with a Quetzal, the national bird of Guatemala, sitting on a scroll, with crossed weapons and a wreath. The design is quite pleasing to the eyes, and the size of these coins allow you to really take it in. Genuine pieces weigh 24.9 to 25 grams.

The 1882 date is scarce, but the 1889 date is very rare, as evaluated below:

COINS DATED 1882:
worn: $25 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $85
well preserved: $240
fully uncirculated: $600+

The 1882 coin in our picture comes from Daniel Sedwick Coins in Florida. It is worn and damaged but still brought $72 in a 2011 auction. CoinQuest thanks Daniel Sedwick for use of the coin photo.

COINS DATED 1889:
worn: $125
average circulated: $350
well preserved: $800+
fully uncirculated: not known to exist

Coins with minor damage will be worth about half of the values quoted above. Coins with severe damage will be worth $15 or so due to the silver content. These pesos contain 0.7234 troy ounces of silver. Use a website such as Kitco.com to check the current value of silver. It changes from day to day.

Refer to our Important Terminology page found at the top left in order to properly interpret the catalog values used on this page.
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