Venezuela 1921 5 bolivares
This specimen was lot 72937 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Santa Ana, CA, October 2019), where it sold for $204. The catalog description[1] noted, "VENEZUELA. 5 Bolivares, 1921. Philadelphia Mint. PCGS AU-58 Gold Shield. Narrow date variety. Lightly toned, with some scattered marks and minor wear. A hint of luster peeks through from below." 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 1921 five bolivares, minted in Philadelphia. Wide and narrow date varieties exist, priced the same. The denomination is shown on the reverse as GR.25,000.
Recorded mintage: 500,000.
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, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Elizondo, Carlos A., Eight Reales and Pesos of the New World, San Antonio, TX: 1968.
- Raymond, Wayte, The Silver Dollars of North and South America, 2nd Ed., Racine, WI: Whitman Publishing, 1964.
- 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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