What are centavo coins?

Centavo coins are currencies used in many countries that have Spanish as the official language, including Mexico, Guatemala and Ecuador. These coins usually have identical size and value to the U.S. cent. They are available in one, five, 10, 25 and 50 centavo denominations.

Some of the countries that use the centavo coins also use U.S. dollars as official currency, such as Guatemala, Ecuador and El Salvador. In these places, the centavo coins are used alongside the banknotes issued from the U.S. To distinguish the use of the national currency from U.S. dollars, the abbreviation M.N., which stands for "moneda nacional," is used.