1981 Peso: Any chance it could be silver?

[clovis97]

My nephew, age 12, bought a bag of foreign coins at a garage sale.

There is a 1981 Peso in the bag...I swear that thing looks like silver, and sounds like silver, but I can't find anything in my basic research about any 1981 Peso's being silver.

He asked a guy at a coin shop about the coin, who said it wasn't silver. Not sure if the guy was blowing him off (which happens at that shop), or if it really isn't silver.

I tend to believe that it isn't silver, but it sounds identical to the other pre-1964 US coins I have, and it looks like it too.

He has the coin, so I can't give any other identifying marks. Please forgive.

Any chance that it is silver?

 

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[Mackaydon]

1981 1 peso is composed of copper-nickel.
Need to get back to 1967 and prior years on the 1 peso to be silver.
Keep hunting !
Don....

 

[clovis97]

Thanks, Don!

I wanted to be triple sure before it got sold in an upcoming garage sale.

 

[Mackaydon]

I made the assumption the coin is from Mexico.
If so, that coin will have more educational/historic value than numismatic value; perhaps a fact to mention at auction.
Don.....

 

[cudamark]

Yeah, they're pretty worthless unless they're uncirculated and part of a collection. You can't even spend them in Mexico anymore.

 

[clovis97]

Yeah, they're pretty worthless unless they're uncirculated and part of a collection. You can't even spend them in Mexico anymore.

This coin is well circulated.

Why can't they be spent in Mexico? Did they revamp the currency?

 

[clovis97]

Thank you all for the replies!!!!! I think you all are right about the fact that it isn't silver...but I swear, it certainly has the look of silver and the sound too!!!!

 

[Mackaydon]

The current Mexican peso (MXN) succeeds to the old peso (MXP) which was abandoned in 1993. In response to rampant inflation, Mexico decided to revalue its currency. On January 1st, 1993, the first new Mexican peso was issued ("nuevo" peso for "new" peso). The new Mexican peso was set equal to 1,000 old Mexican pesos. On January 1st, 1996, after three years of transition, the reference "nuevo" was dropped.
Don.....

 

[clovis97]

Thank you, Don!!!!

I vaguely remember that, but only after you mentioned it.

Again, thanks!!!