1 Peso Santiago

Chile's first peso issues after independence were struck at the Santiago mint using machinery and dies inherited from the colonial period, with Spanish-trained assayers still running day-to-day operations. The new republic had declared independence in 1818 but lacked the infrastructure — and the political stability — to overhaul its monetary system quickly. Royalist forces were not fully expelled from Chilean territory until 1826, meaning early pieces in this series were minted while the country was still technically at war.

The assayer's initial on these pieces matters considerably for specialists. Known assayer marks across this date range include FI and IJ, and the transition between them tracks closely with documented personnel changes at the Casa de Moneda de Santiago.