Catalog
1 Libra Pattern
| Issuer | Peru |
|---|---|
| Year | 1898 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Round |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | VERDAD I JUSTICIA · UNA LIBRA · (Translation: Truth and Justice One Libra) |
| Reverse description | The reverse is entirely blank, consisting of a plain, unadorned field enclosed by a beaded border running along the inner rim. No device, legend, or inscription appears on this side, consistent with a pattern or trial piece in which the reverse design had not yet been finalised. |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
In 1898, Peru's monetary authorities were weighing a transition that never materialized — adopting the libra as a gold circulation unit aligned with the British sovereign, which had already become the de facto trading currency along the Pacific coast. This copper piece was struck as a pattern to test the proposed denomination, not for circulation.
The project stalled. Peru retained the sol system, and these copper trials remained in official hands or escaped into collections through the usual quiet channels of the Casa de Moneda de Lima.