The 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties, ratified in 1978, committed the United States to full transfer of the Canal Zone to Panamanian control by December 31, 1999 — an outcome Omar Torrijos had pursued with sustained diplomatic pressure since taking power in 1968. The Senate ratification vote was razor-thin: 68–32, exactly the two-thirds margin required, and passage was never certain.
KM#53a is the nickel-clad copper version of this commemorative; a sterling silver counterpart was struck for the same event. The weight for a nickel coin of this diameter is notably high, reflecting a thick planchet specification chosen to give the piece a substantial feel for the collector market.
The 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties, ratified in 1978, committed the United States to full transfer of the Canal Zone to Panamanian control by December 31, 1999 — an outcome Omar Torrijos had pursued with sustained diplomatic pressure since taking power in 1968. The Senate ratification vote was razor-thin: 68–32, exactly the two-thirds margin required, and passage was never certain.
KM#53a is the nickel-clad copper version of this commemorative; a sterling silver counterpart was struck for the same event. The weight for a nickel coin of this diameter is notably high, reflecting a thick planchet specification chosen to give the piece a substantial feel for the collector market.