Catalog
1/2 Décimo
| Issuer | Chile |
|---|---|
| Year | 1867-1881 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Old peso (1835-1959) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | A facing condor with wings spread stands atop a shield in the central field, rendered in fine relief with detailed feathering. The bird's talons grip the shield firmly, conveying the heraldic strength characteristic of Chilean coinage of the period. The circular legend POR LA RAZON O LA FUERZA arcs around the periphery, flanked by two small five-pointed stars at the base. The date appears in the exergue area below the condor, between the two stars. The coin's milled border frames the design with a fine toothed edge. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Mintage | 1867 So - - 28,000 1868 So - - 181,000 1868 So - Proof - 1869 So - - 293,000 1870 So - overdate variety exists - 540,000 1871 So - overdate variety exists - 171,000 1872 So - - 286,000 1873 So - overdate varieties exist - 170,000 1874 So - overdate variety exists - 588,000 1875 So - overdate varieties exist - 97,000 1876 So - - 82,000 1877 So - - 327,000 1878 So - - 306,000 1879 /8 So - 3 known, ultra rare - 1880 So - - 194,000 1881 So - - 264,000 |
| Additional information |
Chile's decimal coinage system, introduced in 1851, replaced the old real-based colonial structure — but the transition was slow, and fractional silver denominations like this one filled everyday transactional gaps for nearly three decades. The Santiago Mint, operating under chronic production constraints throughout the 1860s and 1870s, frequently showed inconsistent planchet preparation on small silver, which accounts for the surface irregularities common across this type.
The .835 fineness matched the contemporary French standard, a deliberate alignment with the Latin Monetary Union even though Chile never formally joined it.