Chile 1944 peso

from the Mountain Groan Collection

The specimen shown is an example of a type struck in Santiago, Chile, in 1942-54. It superseded a copper-nickel coin with Roty's condor on the obverse. Depicted is the hero of the struggle against the Spanish, Bernardo O'Higgins. It is the last relic of a once proud denomination that was silver in the nineteenth century. In 1960, the peso was dropped in favor of the escudo, with 1 escudo = 1000 pesos. The escudo itself was abandoned in 1975 for a return to the peso, with 1 new peso = 100 escudos.

Recorded mintage: 12,050,000.

Specification: 7.5 g, copper, 25 mm diameter, reeded edge, designed by Francois Maurice Thénot.

Catalog reference: KM 179.

Source:

• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.

Link to:

• 1940 peso
• 1942 50 centavos
• 1943 peso
• 1945 20 centavos
• 1945 peso
• Coins and currency dated 1944