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1/2 Escudo Type VII Counterstamp
| Issuer | Government of Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| Year | 1849-1857 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 14 mm |
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| Obverse description | Central device depicts five volcanic peaks rising from a plain beneath a radiant sunburst, with a walking lion passant positioned above the peaks within the rays. The scene is enclosed by a circular border. The peripheral legend reads REPUB. DEL CENTROAMERICA, with a date visible at the base of the design. The overall style is characteristic of Central American Republic coinage of the early nineteenth century. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Costa Rica's mid-century gold fractionals present a genuinely tangled minting history. The Type VII counterstamp designation reflects the government's repeated practice of authenticating and revalidating circulating coinage through official punching — a necessary response to the flood of underweight and debased foreign gold that moved through Central American trade routes during the 1840s and 1850s.
KM#80 encompasses nearly a decade of issue, and the host coins beneath the counterstamp vary considerably in origin.