1/2 Decimo

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.