Spain 50 Centimos and 1, 2, and 5 Pesetas (Fakes are possible) 1888 to 1892

The 'toddler's head' portrait of young Spanish king Alfonso XIII appears on these coins. The same pattern appears on 50 centimos and 1, 2, and 5 pesetas denominations with, of course, different inscriptions and different sizes.

Our listings below give approximate catalog values for all dates of this coin (except as noted). Use information from our Important Terminology page to convert these inflated catalog values to actual buy and sell values.

50 CENTESIMOS (0.067 troy ounces silver)
worn: $15 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $40
well presereved: $80
fully uncirculated: $140
some coins dated 1892 are very common, worth one-quarter of these values

PESETA (0.134 troy ounces silver)
worn: $6 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $30
well presereved: $100
fully uncirculated: $200
coins dated 1889 are very rare, worth ten times these values

2 PESETAS (0.268 troy ounces silver)
worn: $6 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $20
well presereved: $100
fully uncirculated: $300
some coins dated 1882 are more common, worth one-half of these values

5 PESETAS (0.723 troy ounces silver)
worn: $15 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $20
well presereved: $100
fully uncirculated: $250
some coins dated 1888 with MS initials are very rare, worth ten times these values or more
coins dated 1891 are more common, worth one-half of these values

If you have one of the special dates noted above, consult a coin catalog or a knowledgeable collector or dealer for more information. Subtle differences from coin-to-coin can account for wide swings in value. Further, valuable Spanish coins are a favorite target of counterfeiters. Monk (the inquirer) says he has an 1891MS coin and there are no such coins listed in the catalogs. It is probably a fake. This is why it is so important to:

BUY ONLY FROM REPUTABLE COIN DEALERS WHEN ADDING HIGH-VALUE COINS TO YOUR COLLECTION

The image below shows a comparison of two coins. The first (upper) coin is from Heritage Auctions, a world-renowned dealer in high-end numismatic (coin collecting) material. You can be completely sure that Heritage's coin is genuine.

The second (lower) image is from a collector in Morocco named Wangxiao, who graciously sent us a high-resolution picture of his coin. Wangxiao's coin is suspect. It is probably a counterfeit.

In the image we have pointed out some discrepancies using yellow arrows. These discrepancies, combined with the 2 gram weight difference, strongly suggest that the lower coin is a fake. However, this is simply CoinQuest's best guess. To be sure, Wangxiao must send his coin to a professional authenticator at one of these services: PCGS, NGC, ANACS, or ICG.

CoinQuest thanks Heritage Auctions for use of their coin photo.
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