Chile 1873 1/2 decimo

from the Mountain Groan Collection

1873/2 overdate?

This silver half decimo piece was minted in Santiago, Chile, in 1867-81. A later type using the same design but .500 fine (KM 137.3) was issued 1879-94. It featured the same upright condor design also used on the decimo, twenty centavos and fifty centavos and peso. The half decimo contained .036 troy oz of silver in 1851-59; by 1874 this had been reduced to .033 troy oz. The decline did not stop with this type; the coin shrank until it was converted to copper-nickel in 1920. Most dates are common tho nice specimens do not turn up as often as the low catalog value would lead one to think. The catalog lists overdates 1873/2 and 1873/9.

Recorded mintage: 170,000.

Specification: 1.25 g, .835 fine silver, .033 troy oz ASW.

Catalog reference: KM 137.2.

Source:

• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.

Link to:

• 1869 ½ decimo
• 1871 centavo
• 1871 peso
• 1873 20 centavos
• 1873 silver peso
• 1873 gold peso
• 1873 2 pesos
• 1873 5 pesos
• 1874 ½ decimo
• Coins and currency dated 1873
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