Panama 1983-FM 500 balboas
This specimen was lot 32055 in Heritage sale 3076 (Long Beach, CA, September 2019), where it sold for $3,360. The catalog description[1] noted, "Panama. Republic gold 'Owl Butterfly' 500 Balboas 1983-FM MS67 NGC, Franklin mint. Struck in 12 karat gold on a scalloped planchet. The scarcer MS version of this large type, more commonly encountered in Proof. Near perfect, exhibiting considerable brightness." No gold coin has ever been struck for circulation in Panama. This denomination was first used for large gold commemoratives in 1975 and the Franklin Mint issued all of them 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.
Recorded mintage: 73 uncirculated + 469 proofs.
Specification: 37.18 g, 0.500 fine gold, AGW 0.5977 oz.
Catalog reference: Fr-30, KM 96.
- 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]Bierrenbach, Cristiano and Warren Tucker, Heritage World and Ancient Coins Auction 3076, featuring the Allen Moretti Swiss Collection and the James Mossman Collection of Canadian Coinage, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2019.
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