Chile 1853-So 50 centavos
The first specimen was lot 73381 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, February 2022), where it sold for $216. The catalog description[1] noted, "CHILE. 50 Centavos, 1853-So. Santiago Mint. PCGS Certified. A moderately circulated and largely untoned coin, salvaged from the S.S. Central America, and housed in a gold "S.S. Central America Treasure" holder. Ex: S.S. Central America Treasure." This fifty centavo piece was minted in Santiago, Chile, in 1853-62. An upright condor was adopted for 1862-67 (KM 134) with a lower relief used for 1867-72 (KM 139). This condor with outspread wings also appeared on half decimos and decimos and twenty centavos coins of the 1850's. The low relief contributed to a rather drab design which wore down rapidly in circulation. It is not common but the price realized here seems exorbitant for a sea-salvaged and corroded coin.
Recorded mintage: 769,000.
Specification: 12.50 g, 0.900 fine silver.
Catalog reference: KM-128.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The February 2022 World Collectors Choice Online Auction - Ancients & World Coins, Featuring Selections from the Kings Norton Mint Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2022.
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