1980 Mexico 20 Pesos

The 1980 20 Pesos coin was struck during Mexico's oil boom, when daily crude production hit over 2.5 million barrels, funding a surge in national minting.

That made it one of the more widely circulated commemoratives of the era, though its design—a profile of Miguel Hidalgo on the obverse and the Aztec calendar on the reverse—owed more to historical motifs than oil derricks. Records show it was composed of 0.720 fine silver, a composition chosen for both durability and market value at the time. We don't know the exact mintage figures; official archives from that period are spotty.

As for myths, I've heard tales of these coins being "cursed by oil barons," but that's nonsense—pure fabrication from overeager collectors. They were just coins, minted to keep commerce flowing.

Some say the edge lettering was meant to symbolize prosperity, but it's likely just standard for the series.