1 Centavo raised star

Chile's earliest copper centavo coinage was introduced following the mint reform of 1851, which reorganized the nation's monetary system under decimal principles — a belated alignment with reforms already underway across much of Latin America. The Santiago mint, the only facility producing Chilean coinage at the time, struggled with consistent die quality during this transitional period.

The raised star variety of KM#120 is distinguished from its incuse counterpart by a die characteristic that emerged from inconsistent hub preparation, not an intentional design change. Collectors working this series must examine the star carefully under magnification, as worn examples frequently obscure the distinction entirely.