2 Pesos Rafael Carrera

Rafael Carrera ruled Guatemala as a largely self-educated mestizo caudillo who rose from poverty to become the country's dominant political figure for nearly three decades. This issue was struck during his second presidency, after he had himself declared president for life in 1854 — a consolidation of power that effectively ended any pretense of republican rotation. Guatemala's gold coinage of this period was minted in small quantities relative to silver, and surviving 2 Peso pieces are notably scarce, a reflection of both limited original production and the coin's intrinsic value encouraging melting.