Honduras 1932 lempira
This specimen was lot 23443 in Heritage sale 61343 (Dallas, TX, November 2023), where it sold for $432. The catalog description[1] noted, "Honduras. Republic Lempira 1932 MS65 PCGS, Philadelphia mint. This silky smooth low-relief emission is generally conditionally scarce and this example is no exception. The sole "Top Pop" example at PCGS and very scarce as such. Displaying a light pearly patina and divine rolling luster." In 1931, the government of Honduras reformed the currency. The peso was dropped and the lempira adopted, with the exchange rate fixed at US$1 = 2 lempiras. A new series of coins were issued, a silver lempira (shown here), fifty centavos, twenty centavos and copper-nickel five and ten centavos. Bronze one and two centavos were added later. The new coins marked the first new issues since the early 1920's; all were minted outside the country and the old mint in Tegucigalpa closed for good.
Recorded mintage: 1,000,000.
Specification: 12.5 g, 0.900 fine silver, 31 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM 75.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Robinson, Charles, The Coins of Central America, 1733-1965, San Benito, TX: 1965.
- Stickney, Brian, A Monetary History of Central America, New York: American Numismatic Society, 2017.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, 2023 November 12 - 13 Spotlight: Latin America World Coins Showcase Auction #61343, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2023.
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