Melt Prices

MX · copper · 1914–1935

Mexico 5 centavos bronze (Josefa) melt value

One coin holds 8.550 g of copper (0.01885 lb) at 95% of 9.000 g. At today’s copper price of $6.5215/lb, melt is $0.1229. Collector coppers are usually worth more as coins than as scrap.

Copper melt (base metal) — Copper is priced by the pound, not the troy ounce. Melt here is the copper in the coin at Kitco’s copper bid. Collector coppers are usually worth more as coins than as scrap.

Copper spot / lb
$6.5215/lb

Spot as of Sep 7, 2026 1:05 PM · $1 move in copper changes this coin by $0.0189

Gold
$4,412.90
 Silver
$66.18
 Platinum
$1,824.00
 Palladium
$1,374.00
PhotoNot on file yet — specs below are mint weight.

What this coin is

The Mexico 5 centavos bronze (Josefa) is a copper coin of Mexico struck 1914–1935. This page is for the type × composition — every date and mint of this issue has the same metal if the weight and fineness match the spec below. Melt is that metal times today’s spot, not a collector or dealer bid.

What is written on the coin

Mexican coins spell the denomination in Spanish: UN, DOS, CINCO, DIEZ, VEINTE, CINCUENTA, CIEN, plus PESOS or CENTAVOS. ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS is the country legend on modern issues. The mintmark is usually Mo (Mexico City). Search those words if you do not know the English type name.

Metal content (the melt spec)

Mint specification: 9.0000 grams at 95% copper, which is 8.550 g / 0.01885 lb of copper (ACW). Copper is priced per pound. Formula: grams × fineness ÷ 453.59237 × copper $/lb. Date and mintmark do not change that number. Melt today is $0.1229 per coin at $6.5215/lb copper.

Mintage

Mintage varies by date. We do not publish a year-by-year mintage table here because melt is the same for this composition. A scarce date or a high grade can be worth more than melt; a common worn piece is often near melt.

A little history

This type belongs to the 1914–1935 period in Mexico. Use the date on the coin to confirm you have this composition, not a later clad or debased issue of the same design.

How to tell you have this type

Match denomination, metal color, and date range. If two compositions share a design (for example 90% vs clad), the date or the edge (solid silver vs copper stripe) decides which page to use.

Date and mintmark do not change the metal on this page. Collector value is a different market — see Sold Comps for sold prices.

Same design, different metal: Mexico 5 centavos bronze (1942–1955). Use the page that matches what you actually have.

Copper is a base metal, quoted in dollars per pound (Kitco), not per troy ounce. Melt here is the copper in the coin at that bid. Collector cents are usually worth more as coins than as scrap. Zinc cents from 1982-on have almost no copper.

Melt / coin$0.1229
Copper spot / lb$6.5215/lb
Copper in coin8.550 g · 0.01885 lb
Gross weight9.000 g
Fineness95%
Coins / lb53.1

Figure yours

Count the pieces. A roll of this type varies.

Copper lb 0.1885
Melt $1.23

If a buyer pays a percent of melt

$0.8603 at 70% of melt

Starts at 70% — a common shop bid on generic metal. Not a quote. Drag or tap a percent to sanity-check an offer.

Open stack

If you want to sell Find a shop near you

A local coin shop can look at what you have. Melt may not be the whole story — dates and condition matter.

US ZIP. We only use it to look up shops on CDXList, the public dealer directory. Not a quote and not a lead form.

Before you sell

Copper melt (base metal)

Copper coins are usually worth more to a collector than as scrap. Melt is the floor. Confirm the type and date before you sell a bag as metal.

Melt is the metal floor. For auction and eBay solds on the same type, see Sold Comps. We list 399 melt values; collector premiums are a different market.

Quick amounts

Using $6.5215/lb copper.

You havePure ozMelt
1 coin 0.2749 $0.1229
10 coins 2.7489 $1.23
20 coins 5.4978 $2.46

Melt alert

Email me if this coin’s melt crosses a number I set.

Related types

Same metal, nearby coins.

Mexico 5 centavos bronze (1942–1955) 1942–1955 · 0.19853 ACW $0.0888 Mexico 2 centavos bronze 1905–1941 · 0.15272 ACW $0.0683 Mexico 1 centavo bronze 1905–1949 · 0.09163 ACW $0.0410 Mexico 1 centavo copper (large) 1863–1897 · 0.28614 ACW $0.1280 Argentina 2 centavos bronze 1882–1949 · 0.30543 ACW $0.1366 Chile 2 centavos bronze 1878–1894 · 0.21380 ACW $0.0956 Hong Kong 1 cent (large) 1863–1926 · 0.22999 ACW $0.1028 Indian Head cent bronze 1864–1909 · 0.09499 ACW $0.0425

Questions people ask

How much copper is in a Mexico 5 centavos bronze (Josefa)?

Mint spec is 9.000 grams at 95% copper, which is 8.550 g / 0.01885 lb of copper. Copper is priced per pound, not per troy ounce. Date and mintmark do not change that.

What is a Mexico 5 centavos bronze (Josefa) worth in melt today?

At copper spot of $6.5215/lb, one coin’s melt is $0.1229. Multiply by how many you have. A collector copper is usually worth more as a coin than as scrap.

How many Mexico 5 centavos bronze (Josefa)s equal one pound of copper?

About 53.05 coins equal 1.00 lb of copper at mint weight.

Does mintmark change the melt value?

No. Mintmark and date do not change the metal for this composition. A Mexico City (Mo) piece and another mint of the same spec have the same melt. Collector premiums still follow date, mint, and grade.

Is melt what I should sell this Mexico 5 centavos bronze (Josefa) for?

Copper is priced by the pound, not the troy ounce. Melt here is the copper in the coin at Kitco’s copper bid. Collector coppers are usually worth more as coins than as scrap. Copper coins are usually worth more to a collector than as scrap. Melt is the floor. Confirm the type and date before you sell a bag as metal.

Is every coin of this design silver?

No. See also the Mexico 5 centavos bronze (1942–1955) — same look, different metal. Melt only applies to the composition on this page.

← All copper types · Full catalog

Share