Venezuela 1912 2 bolivares
Venezuela fully adopted a decimal coinage system in 1871, with 100 centavos = one venezolano. 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'. This specimen was lot 71726 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Santa Ana, CA, February 2020), where it sold for $1,080. The catalog description[1] noted, "VENEZUELA. 2 Bolivares, 1912. Paris Mint. NGC AU-58. An astounding silver 2 Bolivares of 1912. Certified AU 58 by NGC, and as good as it gets for this type. Portrait of Bolivar and Paris mint. Truly rare at this grade level." This specimen, from a type issued 1902-36, is a product of the Paris mint and is a better date. The years 1929, 1935-36 are the common dates
Recorded mintage: 500,000, a better date.
Specification: 10 g, .835 fine silver, .134 troy oz ASW, 27 mm diameter, reeded edge.
Catalog reference: KM-Y23.
- 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]Orsini, Matt, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, The February 2020 Collector's Choice sale: World and Ancient Coins, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2020.
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