1 Centavo 2nd type, thin planchet

Peru's wartime centavo issues of this period reflect the broader metal pressures that reshaped Latin American coinage during the early 1940s. The shift to a thinner planchet was a direct response to wartime bronze shortages, as copper and tin were increasingly diverted toward Allied war matériel — Peru having aligned with the Allied cause and declared war on the Axis in early 1945. The thinner planchet reduced metal consumption without requiring a redesign or denomination change.

KM#208a is distinguished from the first type strictly by planchet thickness, making die-matched pairs a minor specialty among Peruvian collectors. Most examples encountered in commerce show significant circulation wear, consistent with the economic conditions of wartime Lima.