Venezuela 1921 1/2 bolivar
Venezuela fully adopted a decimal coinage system in 1871, with 100 centavos = one venezuelano. By 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 1921 half bolivar, minted in Philadelphia. It is a somewhat scarce date; the 1929-48 issues are all common. The denomination is shown on the reverse as GR.2,500. This specimen was lot 30702 in Heritage sale 3042 (Long Beach, September 2015), where it sold for $3,055. The catalog description[1] noted, "Republic 1/2 Bolivar 1921 MS64 NGC, Philadelphia mint. Narrow Date variety. A rarity in this grade, with exceptionally bright luster over the surfaces and only a tick or two at the back of Bolivar's neck that precludes the Gem designation. As it is, the single finest graded example at NGC of this variety and of the entire date." Wide, narrow and normal date varieties exist; the SCWC prices them all the same.
Recorded mintage: 600,000.
Specifications: 2.5 g, 0.835 fine silver, 0.0671 oz ASW.
Catalog reference: KM-Y21.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Stohr, Tomas, El Circulante en la Capitania General de Venezuela, Caracas, Banco Central de Venezuela, 1998.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and David Michaels, Heritage World Coin Auction 3042, featuring the Read and Bob Bennett Collections, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2015.
Link to: