Catalog
1/2 Décimo
| Issuer | Casa de Moneda de Chile |
|---|---|
| Year | 1860-1862 |
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| Value | 1/2 Décimo (0.05) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | A facing Andean condor with fully spread wings occupies the central field, depicted in a naturalistic style with detailed feather engraving. The bird's head is turned slightly to the right, and a chain hangs from its beak, a traditional Chilean heraldic motif. The peripheral legend POR LA RAZON O LA FUERZA arcs around the upper portion of the coin, with the date 1862 displayed prominently in the lower exergual area, flanked by two small dots. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The décimo system was introduced following Chile's 1851 monetary reform, which replaced the old real-based coinage with a decimal structure anchored to the peso. The Casa de Moneda in Santiago — operating since the colonial period under Spanish authority — adapted slowly to the new denominations, and the fractional silver pieces from this transitional window show the tension between an institution built around Spanish minting habits and a newly republican monetary framework.
KM#121a is distinguished from its predecessor by the .900 fineness, a change from the earlier .900-adjacent colonial silver standards formally codified under the reform.