Venezuela 1893-A 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 1893 one bolivar, minted in Paris. The denomination is shown on the reverse as GRAM.5. It was lot 25236 in Heritage sale 3016 (New York, January 2012), where it sold for $2,300. The catalog description[1] reads: "Republic Bolivar 1893A, AU58 NGC Norweb Collection, well-struck with virtually full mint brilliance and light toning in the legends. Very rare quality for this date and pedigreed to one of the most famous collections of Latin coins."
Recorded mintage: 500,000.
Specifications: 5.0g, 0.835 fine silver, 0.1342 oz ASW.
Catalog reference: Y 22.
- 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]Tucker, Warren, Cristiano Bierrenbach and Scott Cordry, Heritage sale 3016, World and Ancient Coins, Dallas: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2011.
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