Venezuela 1879 20 bolivares
This specimen was lot 8446 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2022), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted, "VENEZUELA. 20 Bolivares, 1879. Brussels Mint. NGC AU Details--Cleaned. This decently preserved example exhibits a good strike with plenty of remaining luster displaying pale golden tone. Close inspection reveals evidence of a past cleaning, now slightly subdued and attractive. Despite its shortcomings, a presentable example of the type that is pleasing to the eye. From the Centuria Collection." Venezuela adopted a complete decimal coinage system in 1871, with 100 centavos = 1 venezuelano. By 1879, denominations were renamed centimos and bolivares, such that 100 centimos = 1 bolivar. The peso sized coin 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'. The silver issues did not possess the name of the denomination. Instead, the weight of the coin and silver fineness is listed on the side with the coat of arms. This type was struck 1879-80, 1886-88, 1904-05, 1910-12 at various mints. Altho no individual date has a large mintage, the type is common.
Recorded mintage: 41,000.
Specification: 6.45 g, 0.900 fine gold.
Catalog reference: Fr-5; KM-Y32; Stohr-45.
- 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, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Stohr, Tomas, El Circulante en la Capitania General de Venezuela, Caracas, Banco Central de Venezuela, 1998.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The 2022 NYINC Sale: World and Ancient Coins, featuring the Mark and Lottie Salton Collection and the Pat Johnson Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2021.
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