Catalog
1 Balboa
| Issuer | Panama |
|---|---|
| Year | 1980 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Obverse description | The Coat of Arms of Panama occupies the central field, depicting a shield with various national symbols including tools, a sword, and a cornucopia, flanked by decorative elements. The national legend REPUBLICA DE PANAMA arcs along the upper periphery, while nine five-pointed stars are arranged in a row above the arms. The motto PRO MUNDI BENEFICIO curves along the lower portion of the shield. The silver fineness LEY 0.500, the Franklin Mint initials FM, and the denomination 1 BALBOA appear in the lower exergual area, separated by decorative ornaments. |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Panama's balboa has never physically circulated in paper form — the country uses U.S. dollars for banknotes while minting its own coinage at parity. The 1 balboa pieces of this period were struck largely for collector sales rather than commerce, a revenue strategy the Panamanian government leaned on heavily after the Canal Zone agreements of 1977 reshaped the country's fiscal relationship with Washington.
The .500 fineness on this type replaced earlier 40% silver issues, then was itself discontinued as silver content became economically untenable by the early 1980s.