Nicaragua 1975 1000 cordobas Fr-3
This specimen was lot 1538 in Goldberg sale 128 (Los Angeles, June 2022), where it sold for $528. The catalog description[1] noted, "Nicaragua. 1000 Cordobas, 1975. Liberty Bell/ United States bicentennial. Only 2,270 Proofs struck of this one year type. NGC graded Proof 68 Ultra Cameo." This was made and sold to commemorate the American bicentennial. It was one of a series of NCLT's (KM 33 thru KM 41) issued in 1975, probably struck in Italy. Some (KM 33, KM 34, KM 39) were intended for earthquake relief. The Managua earthquake of December 1972 (Richter scale 6.2) leveled the city center and killed 6,000 persons. Aid was sent to Nicaragua from many countries but its distribution was mismanaged and much of it was stolen by cronies of the dictator Somoza. Outrage at this malfeasance fed into the Nicaraguan revolution of 1979 which overthrew the regime.
1975 NCLT's:
- KM 33 (20 cordobas, earthquake, silver);
- KM 34 (50 cordobas, earthquake, silver);
- KM 35 (100 cordobas, Betsy Ross, silver);
- KM 36 (100 cordobas, earthquake, silver);
- 1975 100 cordobas, U. S. bicentennial, Betsy Ross
- KM 37 (200 cordobas, Pieta, gold);
- KM 38 (500 cordobas, church, gold);
- KM 39 (500 cordobas, earthquake, gold);
- KM 40 (1000 cordobas, liberty bell, gold, shown here);
- KM 41 (1000 cordobas, Betsy Ross, gold).
- KM 42 (2000 cordobas, U.S. bicentennial).
Recorded mintage: 3,380 plus 2,270 proofs.
Specification: 9.6 g, 0.900 fine gold, 0.2778 troy oz AGW.
Catalog reference: Fr-3; KM-40.
- 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, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Goldberg, Ira, Larry Goldberg, Stephen Harvey and Vera Liu, Goldberg Sale 128: the Pre-Long Beach Auction, Los Angeles: Goldberg Coins and Collectibles, 2022.
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