Cabo Blanco 1936 20 bolivares
This specimen was lot 34513 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Chicago, August 2022), where it sold for $960. The catalog description[1] noted, "VENEZUELA. Cabo Blanco Leper Colony. Brass 20 Bolivares Token, 1936. PCGS MS-62. This large denomination leprosarium token issue is quite RARE and unusual, especially this attractive and near choice. The color is bronze-olive overall, with some muted brilliance and resounding sharpness. A great opportunity for the collector of this fascinating area of numismatics." Leprosy, a disease common in underdeveloped countries, was long feared to be spread by casual contact. Victims were herded into colonies and forced to use special coinage. The leprosarium at Cabo Blanco issued a series of tokens in 1936 ranging from 5 centimos to twenty bolivares, all in brass. When the institution closed in the 1970's, the tokens were redeemed and are today rare.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: brass.
Catalog reference: KM-L18.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Stohr, Tomas, El Circulante en la Capitania General de Venezuela, Caracas, Banco Central de Venezuela, 1998.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The 2022 ANA Auction - Ancients & World Coins - Featuring The Salton Collection Part III, the Augustana Collection and the Robert C. Knepper Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2022.
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