Venezuela 1889 1 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 1889 one bolivar, minted in Caracas. The denomination is shown on the reverse as GRAM.5. It was lot 26155 in Heritage sale 3014 (Chicago, April 2011), where it sold for $218.50. The catalog description[1] reads: "Simon Bolivar One Bolivar 1889. Very Good. Struck in the local Caracas mint and a rare date. From The Dana Roberts Collection."
Recorded mintage: 118,000.
Specifications: 5.0 g, 0.835 fine silver, 0.1342 oz ASW.
Catalog reference: KM Y22.
- 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.
- [1]Tucker, Warren, and Scott Cordry, Heritage Signature Auction 3014: World Coins, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2011.
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