Antique 5 pesetas coins from 1949. Are they really worth that much?

You’ve probably read, or seen on the news, that 5 peseta coins from 1949 can make you a lot of money.

If you found a 5 peseta coin in your grandparents’ drawer, and you’re rubbing your hands together thinking about the thousands of euros you’ll soon have, you’d better sit down and tread carefully. Lest you be disappointed.

It is true that some 5 peseta coins from ’49 are very valuable. But only some of them.

In this article I will tell you which are those 5 peseta coins that are worth a lot. How to recognize them and what to do if you have one in your possession.

History of 5 pesetas of 1949

First, before looking at which are the most valuable ’49 pesetas , you should know a bit of the history behind these coins, and why some have reached the exorbitant price they have.

The 5 pesetas coins of ’49 began to be produced in 1949 under Franco’s government.

In 1949 more than 300 thousand pesetas were minted, and by 1950 the quantity grew to about 24 million Spanish 5 pesetas coins.

But soon the minting of the 5 pesetas was stopped, due to situations beyond Spain’s control.

In 1950 the Korean War caused the price of nickel to rise, to such an extent that the amount of nickel needed to mint one 5 peseta coin far exceeded that value. In other words, if nickel coins of 5 pesetas had continued to be minted, money would have been lost.

So…

The 5 peseta coins were withdrawn and were no longer minted. Except for a few small quantities that remained in the hands of government authorities and wealthy numismatic collectors who managed to get their hands on them.

The 5 pesetas of ’49, in any of its variants, lost its liberatory power on March 1, 1958.

How much is a 1949 5 peseta coin worth?

A priori, the old 1949 5 pesetas coins are worth nothing, or almost nothing, unless you have one of the few pieces that are well valued by collectors.

Here’s the thing, many people kept the 1949 5 pesetas coins when they were withdrawn from circulation. Some people did it out of pure nostalgia, others because they thought they could become worth money some time later.

Then, as the ’49 and ’50 coins were very common, they were valued very little.

On the other hand, the scarce specimens in existence, minted in the years 51 and 52, can fetch a few thousand euros.

What is the value of a 5 peseta coin from 1949?

It will depend on the year it was minted, that is to say, on the type of 5 pesetas coin you have in your possession.

Types of 5 pesetas of ’49

Now we will review the different types of 5 pesetas coins that you could find in the numismatic market. Some of little value, and others that would make any wealthy collector jump out of his chair, wallet in hand.

5 pesetas of 1949 star 49

If you are asking about the price of the 5 pesetas 1949 estrella 49 coin I have to give you some bad news. The price of this coin is very low, it can barely reach 3 to 5 euros.

The low price of these coins is due to the fact that they are not scarce.

On the contrary, there are quite a lot of 1949 pesetas of the year 49, as more than 600 thousand were minted, and they were immediately put into circulation. So, it is still possible to find specimens of these years in many houses in Spain, perhaps kept or forgotten by grandparents.

5 pesetas of 1949 star 50

If the pesetas of the previous year are common and of little value, the 5 pesetas of the 49 star 50 are the least valuable of all the variants.

According to specialized sources, about 24 million of these old pesetas were minted. In all probability if you have seen or have a 5 pesetas coin in your possession it must be from the year 50.

Sorry to tell you the pesetas of the year 50, is worth nothing.

5 pesetas of 1949 star 51

With the 5 pesetas of 1949 star 51 we enter another field, and we can start talking about numismatic value.

Why?

Well, because of the situation I told you before, there are few examples of these pesetas. As you know, in numismatics, rarity, errors and scarcity are the factors that give value to old collector coins.

The 5 pesetas of 49, star 51, have several of these factors. Therefore, it can cost between 3000 and 6000 euros.

5 pesetas of 1949 star 52

Now we need to talk about the most demanded and scarce of all the 49 pesetas coins. The 5 pesetas of 1949 star 52.

Only 14 examples of this coin, which never entered into circulation, are known.

An old 5 pesetas coin from 1949, with a 52 stamped on its star, and in perfect condition (a condition only possible in those coins that were never circulated) can be worth more than 30 thousand euros.

Of course, it would be extremely difficult and improbable to find such a coin lying around in a drawer. As I have just mentioned, only 14 examples of this coin are known.

5 pesetas of 1949, E and 51 stars

The 1949 5 pesetas coins with the letter E engraved on one star and the number 51 on the next were minted as a gift at the International Numismatic Exhibition held in Barcelona in 1951.

These coins are really rare and difficult to find today.

The 5 pesetas E-51 coins can cost up to 5000 euros in different auction houses or buying directly from coin dealers.

5 pesetas of 1949 unminted proofs

There are at least two specimens, which are design proofs, that were mass minted, that can be worth a lot of money.

Basically, I am talking about a model featuring Franco in military dress on the obverse of the coin.

According to the site acsearch.info :

the coin was not adopted because Luis Auguet y Durán (director of the Mint) and the rest of the management team did not dare to present to the authority a coin showing Franco dressed as a military man.

acsearch.info

This specimen is exactly the same, except for the bust of Franco, as the coin that was finally put into circulation. So, it could be said that the final model borrowed design elements from this proof.

Where to sell a 1949 5 pesetas coin?

If you have a 1949 5 pesetas coin and you want to sell it, you must first verify that the specimen you have affectively has some value.

If you have a valuable 1949 5 pesetas coin, you could approach any of the auction houses in Spain, or the many numismatic dealers, and I am sure they would be happy to help you sell it, in exchange for the corresponding brokerage commission.

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