1/2 Décimo

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.