Catalog
1 Balboa Republic, Silver
| Issuer | Republic of Panama |
|---|---|
| Year | 1978 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Silver (.925) |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Central field features the national coat of arms of Panama, depicting a quartered shield surmounted by an eagle with outstretched wings; the shield incorporates a cornucopia, a winged wheel, crossed swords and rifle, and a ship at sea, with the national motto PRO MUNDI BENEFICIO inscribed on a banner across the arms. Nine stars flank the shield on either side. The denomination 1 BALBOA appears in bold lettering along the lower rim, with the fineness LEY 0.925 and Franklin Mint mark inscribed below the shield. The upper legend reads REPUBLICA DE PANAMA, with 75° ANIVERSARIO arcing below it, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Republic, all separated by a row of nine stars. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | 1978 FM - Proof - 13,000 |
| Additional information |
Panama's balboa has been pegged at parity with the US dollar since 1904, meaning the country has never operated an independent monetary policy — the balboa exists largely as a symbolic assertion of nationhood. The 1978 silver issue came during the height of the Torrijos era, the same year the Senate ratified the Carter-Torrijos Treaties returning the Canal Zone to Panamanian sovereignty, a negotiation that had dominated the country's political life for over a decade.
KM#51a designates the sterling silver collector strike, distinguished from the copper-nickel circulation piece of identical design struck concurrently.