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20 Centavos
| Issuer | Bolivia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1942 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 21 mm |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A caduceus — a winged staff entwined by two serpents — is prominently displayed at center, bisecting the denomination numeral. The value expressed as '20 C' appears to either side of the staff, with the spelled-out legend VEINTE CENTAVOS arching above. Two olive branches curve inward below the caduceus, and the date 1942 is inscribed in the lower exergual area. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Bolivia's switch to zinc for this issue was a direct consequence of wartime metal rationing. Copper and brass were diverted to Allied munitions production under pressure from the United States, which was actively courting Latin American nations for strategic material cooperation. Zinc, abundant and strategically less critical, became the stopgap across much of the continent simultaneously.
Zinc coins from this period are notoriously prone to surface corrosion and lamination flaws, making problem-free survivors genuinely uncommon despite relatively high mintage figures.