Catalog
1/2 Decimo
| Issuer | Casa de Moneda de Chile |
|---|---|
| Year | 1851-1859 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 1.25 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The denomination MEDIO DECIMO is inscribed in two lines within the central field, enclosed by a wreath of laurel and oak branches tied at the base with a ribbon bow. The legend REPUBLICA DE CHILE arcs around the upper periphery, with the mint mark So and a small star appearing in the lower margin flanking the wreath. The overall composition is symmetrical and typical of the neoclassical style employed on Chilean silver coinage of the mid-nineteenth century. |
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| Additional information |
Chile's decimalization in 1851 replaced the colonial real system, and the half decimo occupied an awkward position in the new hierarchy — small enough to be easily lost, light enough to wear quickly, and struck in quantities that fluctuated sharply depending on Santiago's silver supply from Atacama mining operations. The transition generated genuine public confusion, and counterfeiting of the smaller denominations was reported in contemporary Chilean press as early as 1852.
KM#121 spans eight years of production but surviving examples in problem-free condition are genuinely scarce, particularly from the later dates of the series.