Chile 2003-So 500 pesos
The specimen shown is an example of a bi-metallic 500 pesos struck in Santiago, Chile, starting in 2000. 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. The obverse displays a portrait of Cardinal Raul Silva Henriquez, who served as archbishop of Santiago from 1961 to 1983. This design may still be in production; 2013 is the most recent date in the SCWC but Numista shows a 2023. This coin may still circulate; as of October 2024, 500 Chilean pesos = 54 cents.
Recorded mintage: 35,000,000.
Specification: 6.5 g, bi-metallic, aluminum-bronze center in copper-nickel ring, 26 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM 235.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 2001-Date, 13th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2018.
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