Venezuela 1879 1/2 bolivar
Venezuela fully adopted a decimal coinage system in 1871, with 100 centavos = 1 venezuelano. By 1879, denominations were renamed centimos and bolivares, such that 100 centimos = 1 bolivar. A crown was equivalent to five bolivares. The official title of the country from 1864 was 'Estados Unidos de Venezuela', a name it would carry until 1953, when the constitution mandated a return to the name 'Republica de Venezuela'.
Shown is a 1879 half bolivar, minted in Brussels. The denomination is shown on the reverse as GR.2,5000. It was lot 25020 on Apr 16, 2011 at the 2011 April Rosemont Signature World & Ancient Coins CICF Auction #3014 where it sold for $661. The catalog description reads: "Republic 1/2 Bolivar 1879, VF Details, Surface Hairlines NGC. First date of new type and the only year struck in Brussels, with a mintage of 200,000. From The Dana Roberts Collection."
Recorded mintage: 200,000.
Specifications: 2.50 g, 0.835 fine silver, 0.671oz ASW.
Catalog reference: Y 21.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Stohr, Tomas, Catalogo de Monedas, Ensayos, Fichas y Resellos de Venezuela, Caracas, 1975.
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