The Granadine Confederation existed for barely four years, 1858 to 1863, a constitutional experiment that briefly replaced the Republic of New Granada before itself being superseded by the United States of Colombia. This fractional silver piece was struck at a moment when the federal government's authority over monetary production was contested by regional interests, and the caduceus privy mark was used to attribute dies to specific assayers responsible for silver purity — accountability built into the metal itself.
The Granadine Confederation existed for barely four years, 1858 to 1863, a constitutional experiment that briefly replaced the Republic of New Granada before itself being superseded by the United States of Colombia. This fractional silver piece was struck at a moment when the federal government's authority over monetary production was contested by regional interests, and the caduceus privy mark was used to attribute dies to specific assayers responsible for silver purity — accountability built into the metal itself.