Panama 1979-FM 200 balboas
This specimen was lot 23431 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2020), where it sold for $384. The catalog description[1] noted, "PANAMA. Platinum 200 Balboas, 1979. PROOF UNCIRCULATED. Proof with mirrored fields and frosty devices. Sold in original display envelope." This denomination was used twice, once for this commemorative and again in 1980 to honor boxing. The Franklin Mint issued all of Panama's commemoratives until 1985. Unfortunately, collecting Panamanian coins lost its popularity after the Franklin mint overissued proof sets and commemoratives in the 1970's and 1980's. For years, few Panamanian coins sold for more than melt.
The Panama Canal treaties, signed by Omar Torrijos and Jimmy Carter in 1977, transferred the Canal Zone from U.S. control to Panama during 1979-99. Despite alarms raised by American conservatives, the canal remains in operation today with little controversy and has even been widened.
Recorded mintage: 2,178 proofs.
Specification: 9.5 g, 0.980 fine platinum.
Catalog reference: KM-61.
- 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]Orsini, Matt, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, The January 2020 NYINC Sale: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2019.
- Stickney, Brian, A Monetary History of Central America, New York: American Numismatic Society, 2017.
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