1/10 De Balboa Pattern, Uniface Obverse, Piefort

Panama's 1982 pattern issues were produced as test strikes ahead of proposed coinage reforms, and the piefort format — double the standard planchet thickness — was used specifically to evaluate die relief and metal flow under increased striking pressure. A uniface strike retaining only the obverse die suggests this piece was made to assess that side's design in isolation, likely at an early stage before paired dies were finalized. The .400 fine gold composition is unusually low for a pattern of this type, pointing toward a deliberately debased alloy intended to simulate production economics rather than produce a precious presentation piece.