1/2 Centésimo

Panama's early coinage was struck under contract in the United States — this piece, like others of the series, was produced at the Philadelphia Mint following the country's independence from Colombia in 1903. The 1907 issue came during a period when the U.S. exercised considerable influence over Panamanian monetary policy, and American mints handled production for decades precisely because Panama lacked its own minting infrastructure.

The half-centésimo saw limited practical use in daily commerce and was discontinued relatively early in the series.