Venezuela 1900 5 bolivares
This specimen was lot 72925 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Santa Ana, CA, October 2019), where it sold for $720. The catalog description[1] noted, "VENEZUELA. 5 Bolivares, 1900. Paris Mint. PCGS AU-53 Gold Shield. Another rather difficult date, this charming piece features an alluring cabinet tone and only some scattered, light wear on the higher points." Venezuela fully adopted a decimal coinage system in 1871, with 100 centavos = one venezuelano. In 1879, denominations were renamed centimos and bolivares, such that 100 centimos = one 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 1900 five bolivares, minted in Paris. It is the first year for catalog number Y24.2, which varies from Y24.1 of 1879-89 by having 13 DE ABRIL on the reverse instead of 28 DE MARZO. The denomination is shown on the reverse as GR.25,000.
Recorded mintage: 270,000.
Specifications: 25 g, 0.900 fine silver, 0.7234 oz ASW, 37 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM Y24.2.
- 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, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, The October 2019 Collector's Choice Sale: World and Ancient Coins, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2019.
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