Catalog
20 Balboas Hummingbird
| Issuer | Panama |
|---|---|
| Year | 1982 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | KM#81, Schön#80 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | REPUBLICA DE PANAMA ********* PRO MUNDI BENEFICIO LEY 0.500 FM 20 BALBOAS (Translation: Republic of Panama For the Benefit of the World 0.500 Purity) |
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| Mintage | 1982 FM - - 140 1982 FM - Proof - 3,445 1982 FM - Proof, FDC - |
| Additional information |
Panama's gold coinage of the early 1980s emerged directly from the country's unusual monetary arrangement — the balboa has never been physically issued as paper currency, with U.S. dollars circulating alongside it in a de facto currency union dating to 1904. These gold pieces were struck primarily for collector export rather than domestic use. The 1982 hummingbird issue was part of a broader conservation series tied to Panama's biodiversity advocacy at the time.
At .500 fineness, this sits below standard numismatic gold — a deliberate cost decision that kept issue prices accessible without reducing the nominal face value.