Costa Rica 1982-FM 1500 colones
This specimen was lot 74382 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, October 2025), where it sold for $3,120. The catalog description[1] noted, "COSTA RICA. 1500 Colones, 1982-FM. Pennsylvania (Franklin) Mint. PCGS PROOF-69 Deep Cameo." We don't know why the Franklin Mint elected to use 12 karat gold for this NCLT; the trifling savings in metal was negated by the coin's tendency to acquire ugly toning spots. The SCWC comments, "Although considered legal tender, these coins were never officially authorized for circulation." Francisco Coronado (1510-54) was a Spanish explorer and would-be conquistador who trekked from Culiacan, Mexico, to Kansas and back in search of the mythical city of "Cibola". Amazingly, he survived his fruitless journey. We are fairly sure he never set foot in Costa Rica.
Recorded mintage: 724 proofs.
Specification: 6.98 g, 0.500 fine gold.
Catalog reference: Fr-30; KM-213.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Gurdian, Raul, Contribucion al Estudio de las Monedas de Costa Rica: 100 Años de Colon, 2a Ed., San José, Costa Rica, 1997.
- Stickney, Brian, A Monetary History of Central America, New York: American Numismatic Society, 2017.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, October 2025 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, featuring the Kirk Menczer Collection of Republican Decimal Minors and the Richard August Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2025.
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