1/2 Libra Trade Coinage

Peru's libra series was introduced in 1898 specifically to facilitate trade with British commercial partners, the coin deliberately engineered to match the weight and fineness of the sovereign so that Peruvian exporters — primarily in wool, rubber, and guano — could settle accounts without the friction of conversion. The half libra followed in 1902 and ran with remarkable continuity through 1969, though actual annual output varied enormously and several dates within that span exist only as proofs or in tiny quantities.

The Casa de Moneda in Lima is one of the oldest operating mints in the Western Hemisphere, founded by royal decree in 1565.