Panama 1984-FM 500 balboas

Heritage sale 3073, lot 33553

This specimen was lot 33553 in Heritage sale 3073 (Chicago, April 2019), where it sold for $2,400. The catalog description^[1] noted, "Republic gold Proof 'Golden Eagle' 500 Balboas 1984-FM PR68 Ultra Cameo NGC, Franklin mint. Highly lustrous with deep mirror fields and abundant luster." 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: 10 uncirculated plus 156 proofs.

Specification: 37.18 g, 0.500 fine gold, .597 troy oz AGW.

Catalog reference: Fr-31, KM 101.

Source:

• 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 3073, featuring the Lake County Collection of British coins, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2019

Link to:

• 1983 5 balboas
• 1983-FM 20 balboas, 200th Anniversary of the birth of Simon Bolivar
• 1983 500 balboas, Owl butterfly
• 1984 balboa, Omar Torrijos
• 1985-FM 20 balboas, discovery of the Pacific Ocean
• 1985-FM 500 balboas
• Coins and currency dated 1984
• return to coins of Panama