Colombia 1916(p) 50 centavos
This specimen was part of lot 44471 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Philadelphia, August 2018), which sold for $384. The catalog description[1] noted, "COLOMBIA. Lot of (3) 50 Centavos, 1913-1917. Various Mints. Unc Detail--Cleaned (PCGS). 3 pieces in lot. All KM-193.1, Restrepo type 414. 1913 Heaton Mint, good luster and attractive peripheral toning despite some hairlines, 1916 Bogota, well struck and untoned, and 1917 Bogota, 7 with flat base, untoned. From the Eldorado Collection of Colombian Coins." This fifty centavos was struck in Philadelphia for Colombia, of a type issued 1916-17, 1921-22. This type, with the portrait of hero Simon Bolivar, superseded the liberty head type last struck in 1908. The date is common. The Bogota and Medellin mints also issued this type using substantially different dies. The minting of silver fifty centavos ceased in 1935 and when resumed in 1947, the new type was only 0.500 fine. To the delight and despair of collectors, the half dollars of Colombia come in a profusion of dates, styles, varieties and errors and form a collecting specialty all their own.
Recorded mintage: 1,300,000.
Specification: 12.5 g, 0.900 fine silver, .361 troy oz ASW, edge lettered DIOS LEI LIBERTAD.
Catalog reference: KM 274.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Almanzar, Alcedo, and Dale Seppa, Coins of Colombia, San Antonio, TX: 1973.
- Restrepo, Jorge Emilio, Monedas de Colombia, 1619-2006, Medellin, Colombia: Impresiones Rojo, 2006.
- [1]Ponterio, Richard, Kyle Ponterio and Chris Chatigny, The August 2018 Philadelphia ANA Auction: World Coins and Selections from the El Dorado Collection of Colombian Coins, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2018.
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