CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICAN
COINS & CURRENCY

ARGENTINA CELEBRATES A NEW CONSTITUTION  

In 1994 Argentina implemented a major constitutional reform. The new constitution was designed to end previous abuses by increasing the protection of political and consumer rights, adding sections dealing with public ethics, environmental protection and limiting the power and term of the President.  These pure nickel 2 and 5 Peso coins were issued to commemorate the event.  Both 1994 dated coins have the same design.  The obverse features the Argentine Coat-of-Arms, the names of the two cities that hosted the Constitutional Convention, Parana and Santa Fe, and the arms of the two cities.  The reverse represents the Constitution as an open book, with the first words of the preamble depicted.

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BELIZE COIN SET INCLUDES COLUMBUS' SHIPS 

Belize, formerly known as British Honduras, is on the east coast of Central America. The area was the site of ancient Mayan civilizations and was sighted by Columbus in 1502.  It was settled by shipwrecked British sailors and pirates in the 17th century and became a British colony upon the collapse of the Spanish Empire in the 1820's. It became an independent nation in 1981.  Queen Elizabeth is the head of state and holds the title of Queen of Belize.  She is pictured on the obverse of all the coins.   The six-coin set includes the scalloped edged aluminum 1 cent, aluminum 5 cents, copper-nickel 10, 25 and 50 cents and a 10-sided nickel-brass 1 Dollar coin.  The dollar coin pictures Columbus' three ships.

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BOLIVIA COMMEMORATES THEIR LOSS OF ACCESS TO THE PACIFIC

The War of the Pacific started as a dispute over the taxing of bird poop!  The war broke out in 1879 over a treaty dispute about Bolivia’s ability to raise taxes on a Chilean company mining bird guano in the Atacama Desert.  Chile defeated the combined forces of Bolivia and Peru.  Bolivia lost their corridor to the Pacific Ocean and Peru lost its southern tip to Chile. Since then the loss of the territories has been a rallying cry by politicians seeking to draw attention away from domestic problems.  In 2017 Bolivia released a set of four 2 Bolivianos commemorating the loss of their Pacific territory.  The 11-sided 2mm stainless steel coins have Bolivia’s arms on one side and the following designs on the other:  Genoveva Ríos was a young teen-age girl who bravely saved the Bolivian flag from Chilean troops.  Eduardo Abaroa is one of Bolivia’s foremost heroes in the war.  He died in the Battle of Topáter.  Outnumbered and low in ammunition, most of the Bolivian force withdrew, except for a small group of civilians led by Abaroa that fought to the end.  The Bolivian Colorados Regiment fought bravely in many of the battles of the war.   The Port of Cobija was Bolivia’s main seaport on the Pacific.  It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1868, destroyed again by a tsunami in 1877, annexed by Chile in 1884 and abandoned in 1907.  

For more War of the Pacific items please see:

THE BIRD POOP TAX WAR  - THE WAR OF THE PACIFIC

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BOLIVIA 1965 COIN SET

This three-coin set includes the 1965 dated 5, 10 and 50 Centavos from Bolivia.  The coins were the first issued by Bolivia since 1951 and were issued as part of a currency reform. The obverses of the coins depict the Bolivian arms which feature the Potosi mountain silver mine and an alpaca.  The denomination is on the reverse.

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BRAZIL SET FEATURES PROFESSIONS

This short-lived 4 coin set from Brazil features Brazilians engaged in their daily work.  The 1 Centavo depicts a farmer and cows.  A fisherman and two fish is on the 5 Centavos.  A miner and three diamonds is on the 10 Centavos.  The 50 Centavos depicts what appears to be a weaver making cloth.  The coins were introduced in 1989 as part of a currency reform, in which 1000 of the old Cruzados became worth 1 Crozado Novo.  Inflation continued out of controll and the coins were soon worthless.  In 1990 Brazil introduced another reform and Cruzado Nova was replaced by the Cruzeiro.   All four coins are made of Stainless Steel and feature the denomination on the obverse. It is an inexpensive and attractive Brilliant Uncirculated set.

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BRAZILIAN RIO OLYMPIC COINS  

 Brazil released a series of circulating commemorative bi-metalic 1 Real coins to commemorate the 2016 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.  Sixteen  1 Real coins depicting various Olympic and Paralympic sports were released starting in 2014.  The four 2014 issues depict track, swimming, golf and the para-triathalon.  Eight coins were released in 2015 featuring basketball, swimming, rugby, Paralympic canoeing, soccer, volleyball, judo and Paralympic track.  Four 2016 coins have been released, depicting boxing, Paralympic mascot Tom, Olympic Mascot Vinicius and Paralympic swimming.   All the coins have a common reverse which includes the date, denomination and a motif from the Brazilian flag that features the Southern Cross constellation.    The 27mm bi-metallic coins have a stainless steel center and a bronze-plated steel outer ring.   All coins are Brilliant Uncirculated.

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MUSEUM OF GOLD ON COLOMBIA 20 GOLD PESOS NOTE

The back of this Colombia 1983 20 Pesos Oro (Gold Pesos) note depicts golden objects from the Museum of Gold in Bogata.  The museum houses the world's largest collection of pre-Colombian gold relics.  The front depicts Francisco José de Caldas, a Colombian lawyer, scientist, military engineer and inventor who was killed by the Spanish in 1816 during Colombia's war for independence. Though the note is denominated in Gold Pesos, the note was not was not backed by gold and within a few years was virtually worthless. The note measures 140x70mm.

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UNUSUAL PORTRAIT COSTA RICAN COFFEE PLANTATION TOKEN

Most plantation tokens tended to have rather simple designs consisting of just lettering and maybe a simple image. This unusual token of the Sociedad Alvarado-Chacon features a good portrait of the owner Santiago Alvarado Ramírez, who lived from 1841 until 1933.  The Sociedad was a holding company for his eight coffee plantations Costa Rica that all used this token.  The 26mm brass token is denominated as 1 Real.  Though Costa Rica officially stopped using Reals in 1865 when they switched to a decimal system, plantations continued to pay their workers in Reals, with 1 Real worth 1/8 of a Colon.  The tokens are somewhat corroded and have been cleaned.

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ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT HONORED ON SCARCE CUBAN 25 CENTAVOS 

Prussian naturalist, geographer and scientist Alexander von Humboldt visited Cuba twice, in 1800 and in 1804.  While there conducted detailed studies of Cuba's land, plants, animals and its people.  His work was so extensive that he has been called the "Second Discoverer of Cuba" and was made an honorary citizen of that country.  In 1989 Cuba honored him on this 24mm copper-nickel commemorative 25 Centavos.  The obverse portrays the Cuban arms.  The reverse features Humboldt's bust in a cameo and two birds.  His studies and fame extended far beyond Cuba.  Numerous species, places and geographic features including the Humboldt Current, as well as several colleges and universities are named after him.  The coin has a mintage of only 17,000 pieces and catalogs $50.00!.

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ECUADOR COIN SET 

This six coin set from Ecuador includes the 50 Centavos, 1 and 5 Sucres dated 1988 and the 10, 20 and 50 Sucres dated 1991. All of coins are struck in nickel-clad steel. The top four denominations have their value in braille to aid the blind. According to the Standard Catalog of World coins, all but 100,000 of the 1988 issue was withdrawn from circulation and melted.

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GUATEMALA COIN SET

This five coin set from Guatemala reflects that nation’s culture.  The 5 Centavos shows the Liberty Tree, an image is taken from the 19th century coins of the Central American Republic. The 10 Centavos shows the ancient Mayan Monolith of Quirgua. The 25 Centavo shows a native Indian. The 50 Centavos shows the national flower, a white nun orchard. The1 Quetzal has the image of a dove formed from the word "PAZ" (Peace) and has the date of the new constitution (December 29, 1996) that formalized the end of a decades long civil war. The obverse of each coin has the national arms which include a Quetzal bird atop their declaration of independence and protected by swords and bayoneted rifles.  The coins date from 1990 to 2007.

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GUATEMALA NOTE COMMEMORATES 100th ANNIVERSARY OF QUETZAL CURRENCY  

In 2024 Guatemala recently introduced an attractive circulating 1 Quetzal note to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Quetzal monetary unit. The front depicts a colorful Quetzal bird, the national bird of Guatemala, an impressive gold holographic device, the portrait of General José María Orellana and the Tikal Temple. General Orellana became President in 1921 in a coup sponsored by the United Fruit Company.  He implemented the currency reform that introduced the Quetzal. He also ruthlessly suppressed strikes by Guatemalan workers against the United Fruit Company.  He died under mysterious circumstances in 1926 one day after declaring martial law. The back of the note depicts the Bank of Guatemala building.  The note also incorporates ultraviolet images and front/back registration images of the Mayan glyph for the numeral one and the Guatemalan flag. It is an impressive note at an attractive price. The note is 156 x 67mm.

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MEXICAN COINS AND BANKNOTES NOW HAVE THEIR OWN PAGE:

 COINS AND CURRENCY OF MEXICO

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NETHERLANDS ANTILLES COINS AND BANKNOTE

Though the Netherlands Antilles was officially dissolved in 2010, Curacao and Sint Maarten continue to use Netherlands Antilles coins and currency.  The introduction of a new currency has been repeatedly delayed due to disagreements over details about the currency and delays caused by COVID.  New coins and currency are now expected to be released in 2024.  In order to meet the needs of commerce certain denominations of Netherlands Antilles coins were struck, even though Netherlands Antilles no longer officially existed.  This 7-coin Netherlands Antilles set includes some last coins struck for Netherlands Antilles. The 2016 5 Gulden depicting Dutch king Willem-Alexander.  The 2006 2 1/2 Gulden features his mother, Queen Beatrix.   Willem-Alexander is on the 2016 1 Gulden. The three coins features the arms of the Netherlands Antilles on the reverse. The four lower denominations all have similar designs, with the denomination on one side and a stylized orange tree on the other.  The 25, 10 and 1 Cent are dated 2016, the 5 Cent is dated 2022.  The coins were all struck at Utrecht mint.  
The 1970 1 Guilden bank note was the last 1 Gulden note issued by Netherlands Antilles.. The note depicts the  harbor at Willemstad, Curacao with a number of cargo ships

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NICARAGUA COIN FEATURES OLD NATIONAL EMBLEM  

The emblem of the long defunct Central American Republic, featuring a radiant sun-face rising over five mountain peaks appears on the reverse of this 1954 Nicaragua 50 Centavos.  Nicaragua based their national arms on the emblem.  The obverse features Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba, a Spanish conquistador who is the founder of Nicaragua and for whom their currency is named.  He established the Nicaraguan cities of Granada and Leon in 1524. The 26mm copper-nickel coin has a lettered edge and is Uncirculated.  It has a catalog value of $15.00, however, our price is MUCH less.

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PANAMA 1953 50th ANNIVERSARY CENTESIMO  

Panama celebrated the 50th Anniversary of its independence in 1953 with the striking of this commemorative 1 Centesimo coin. One side pictures native chief Urraca, who helped Panama gain its independence from Spain in 1821, before it joined the Colombian Federation. The reverse shows the date and denomination. Panama gained its independence from Colombia in 1903 with the help of the United States, after Colombia rejected a treaty with the United States to build a canal across the isthmus. The bronze 1 Centesimo has the same composition and dimensions as the United States cent and has a mintage of 1.5 Million. The coin is Uncirculated, though may be slightly toned.

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PANAMA BREAST CANCER AWARENESS COIN  

Panama released this circulating Breast Cancer Awareness 1/4 Balboa coin itwo circulating commemorative commemorative in 2008.  It features the Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon on one side and the Panamian arms and date on the other. 

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A TRIPLE COMMEMORATIVE FROM PANAMA

This Panamanian  1 Centesimo dated 2000 is a triple commemorative.  It commemorates the Panama Canal, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the beginning of the 21st century.  Pretty impressive for a low value coin. The 22.8mm aluminum coin depicts a ship passing through the canal on one side and the national arms on the other.

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2019 PANAMA WORLD YOUTH DAY COINS

Panama celebrated World Youth Day with regular and colored bi-metallic 1 Balboa coins.  The 2019 World Youth Day was held in Panama City in January 2019.  The event was organized by the Catholic Church and featured a visit by Pope Francis.  It drew thousands of young people from around the world.   Both coins feature the logo of the event on one side and the Panamanian arms on the other.  The logo was designed by a 20-year-old college student. The logo, which is rich in Catholic symbolism. It incorporates a silhouette of the Panamanian Isthmus and the Panama Canal, a Pilgrim Cross, silhouette of the Virgin Mary, the five points of the crown of Mary, also symbolizing the five continents.  The logo has both the shape of a heart and the letter 'M'.

Also see:

VATICAN 2013 WORLD YOUTH DAY 2 EURO

PORTUGAL 2 EUROS 2023 YOUTH DAY 2 EURO

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1953 PARAGUAY COIN SET FEATURES ODD SHAPES

This 4-coin set from Paraguay includes the 10, 15, 25 and 50 Centimos dated 1953. The aluminum-bronze (brass) coins all have scalloped edges and feature a lion guarding a liberty cap on the obverse.  The design is from the reverse of the arms and flag of Paraguay.  The denomination is on the reverse. The coins were struck only a single year.

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 SEATED LIBERTY SILVER "DOLLAR" FROM PERU 

Peru introduced the seated liberty design on their coinage when they switched from the Spanish Real monetary system to the decimal system in the mid 1800's. The design for their new coins were based on the seated liberty coins that the United States used at the time.  Both feature liberty seated with a shield in one hand and a liberty cap on a pole in the other.  The obverse features the Peruvian arms.  The silver 1 Sol  had its silver content reduced from .900 fine to .500 fine after World War I.  The 37mm coin contains .4019 troy ounces of silver.  The silver 1 Sol is dated between 1930 and 1935.  1935 was the last year the silver 1 Sol was minted..  In 1935 Peru renamed their currency "Sol de Oro" which means sun of gold - and  struck the coin in brass.

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ADMIRAL GRAU MONUMENT TOKEN FROM PERU

ADMIRAL GRAU ON PERUVIAN COINS

BOLIVIA COMMEMORATES THEIR LOSS OF ACCESS TO THE PACIFIC

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SURINAME 5 NOTE SET FEATURES LANDSCAPES

This is the complete 5-note set of the second issue of the Surinamese Dollar. IT was introduced in 2010 and is in current circulation.  The designs are similar to the first issue but with many advanced security features including a holographic stripe, color shifting security thread and bank logo registration device.  The fronts of the notes all depict the Central Bank building in Paramaribo and native plants. The back sides show the country’s impressive landscape and also various plants.  The back of the 2012 5 Dollar note features the Gran Rio River and a Coconut palm. The 2019 10 Dollar depicts the Suriname river and a Yellow lapacho tree.   The 2019 20 Dollar pictures the Voltzberg granite dome mountain and a Red mangrove on the back.  The 2019 50 Dollar depicts Mount Kasikasima and a Java cotton tree.  An aerial view of the Maroni River and a Sandalwood tree are on the back of the 2020 100 Dollar note. 

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URUGUAY COIN SET FEATURES ANIMALS AND BIMETALLIC    

Native wildlife is featured on this set of the current coins of Uruguay.   The 2015 bi-metallic 10 Pesos features a Puma.  The design was first used on Uruguay’s 10 Centavo of 1930 and then later on the 1942 1 Peso.  The 2014 5 Pesos pictures a Rhea (Nandu), which is a  large flightless bird, related to the ostrich.  A capybara (carpincho), which is the largest rodent in the world, is on the 2014 2 Pesos.  The  2012 1 Peso depicts an armadillo.  The national arms is on the reverse of each coin.  

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VENEZUELA 2008 REVALUATION COIN SET  

On January 1, 2008 Venezuela implemented a 1000 to 1 revaluation of their currency, replacing the Bolivar with the new Bolivar Fuerte (Strong).  Due to political and economic mismanagement and falling oil prices the Bolivar Fuerte has proved to be anything but strong and has lost almost all of its value.  We offer the now hard to find Bolivar Fuerte coins.  The seven coin set includes the 1, 5, 10, 12 1/2, 25 and 50 Centavos dated 2007 and a bi-metallic 1 Bolivar dated 2012.  The 1 Bolivar pictures national hero Simon Bolivar and has a lettered edge.  The other denominations show the denomination in large numerals on the reverse.  The 12 1/2 Centavos (1/8 Bolivar) is an unusual denomination that harkens back when Spanish Pieces-of-Eight circulated in the region.  Because of severe inflation in Venezuela the coins no longer circulate and are difficult to obtain.

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VENEZUELAN COMMEMORATIVE COINS

In 2011 Venezuela issued a 25 Centavos for the 200th anniversary of the signing of their Act of Independence.  In 2010 it issued a 50 Centavos commemorating the 70th anniversary of its Central Bank.  Considering the severe inflation and economic mismanagement the country has experienced it would not seem to be an event one would want to commemorate.  The standard reverses are used on the coins which have the denomination and eight stars.   Both coins are nickel-plated steel.  Due to Venezuela's inflation the coins circulated only briefly and are worth far more as scrap metal than their face value, making them hard to find today.

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2016 COINS OF VENEZUELA

In conjunction with the planned withdrawal 100 Bolivar note in December 2016, Venezuela introduced three new coins: the 10, 50 and 100 Bolivar dated 2016.  Also issued at that time were new high denomination banknotes. Due to of the inability of the government to get the coins to the banks and the rapid depreciation of the value of the Bolivar the withdrawal of the notes has been repeatedly postponed.  The three coins are struck in a magnetic alloy and have similar designs.   The obverses feature the Barre portrait of Simon Bolivar, which has been used on Venezuela's coins since 1873.  Behind him are three undulating lines representing the three stripes of Venezuela's flag.  The reverses have Venezuela's new coat-of-arms, the denomination and date.  Because of their lack of buying power and the economic collapse of Venezuela the coins rarely circulate and are difficult to obtain.  

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VENEZUELA COMPLETE 27 NOTE INFLATION SET

TThis set includes all 27 denominations of banknotes issued by Venezuela between 2007 and 2020.  The Venezuelan Bolivar was for many years one of the strongest currencies in the world.  Under the Socialist government of Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro the country and its currency underwent a complete collapse. In 2007 the Bolivar, which had been in use since 1879, was replaced by the Strong Bolivar (Bolivares Fuerte), with 1 Strong Bolivar being worth 1000 Bolivars.  The Strong Bolivar turned out to be very weak.  Inflation accelerated due to government incompetence and misrule.  In 2018 another new currency was introduced, the Sovereign Bolivar (Bolivares Soberano), with 100,000 Strong Bolivars worth 1 of the new Sovereign Bolivar.   Inflation has continued and in 2021 another new currency was introduced, the Digital Bolivar (Bolivares Digitales), with 1 Digital Bolivar being equivalent to 1 Sovereign Bolivar.  This 27-note set includes the 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10,000, 20,000 and 100,000 Strong Bolivares notes dating from 2013 to 2017 and the 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, 200,000, 500,000 and 1 million Sovereign Bolivar notes dating from 2018 to 2020.  The issues before the 10,000 Sovereign Bolivar feature Venezuelan heroes on the front native wildlife on the backs.  Starting with the 10,000 Sovereign Bolivar note which was released in 2019, all the notes feature the same portrait of Simon Bolivar on the front and either his mausoleum or the Battle of Cordoba on the back.  With little to distinguish these high denomination notes from each other than their muted color, I pity anyone who is colorblind in Venezuela.

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VENEZUELA'S NEW NON-DIGITAL BOLIVARES DIGITALES 

For the third time in 13 years Venezuela launched a new currency due to ongoing inflation.  The new Bolivar Digitales (Digital Bolivar) is equivalent to 1 million of the Bolivares Soberano (Sovereign Bolivar).   The Sovereign Bolivar, introduced in 2018 was worth 100,000 Bolivares Fuerte (Strong Bolivar).  The Strong Bolivar was worth 1000 Bolivars.  The Bolivar had been used since 1879 and was once one of the strongest currencies in the world.  Though called a Digital Bolivar, there is nothing digital about it other than knocking six zeros off the previous currency.  Digital Bolivars are banknotes and not a crypto-currency.  The new notes released are the 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 Digital Bolivars.  The notes are dated April 21, 2021, though were not first released until October 1, 2021. The notes all have the same basic design, which itself was recycled from previous Venezuelan banknotes.  Simon Bolivar is on the front.  The back commemorates the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Carabobo, in which Bolivar's defeated Spanish Royalist forces on June 24, 1821, paving the way for Venezuela's independence.  The new notes list the denominations as Bolivares rather than Bolivares Digitales and with the similarity of designs to previous banknotes. they undoubtedly create opportunities for fraud and causes confusion, especially for those with poor eyesight or limited education.

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Also see:
 COINS AND CURRENCY OF MEXICO

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Email: orders@joelscoins.com

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