Catalog
20 Centésimos
| Issuer | Uruguay |
|---|---|
| Year | 1965 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Right-facing bust effigy of José Gervasio Artigas, national hero and founding father of Uruguay, rendered in low relief. The circular legend 'REPÚBLICA ORIENTAL DEL URUGUAY' runs around the periphery, with the mint mark 'So' (Casa de Moneda de Chile, Santiago) appearing below the portrait. The date '1965' is inscribed in the lower exergual area, and the name 'ARTIGAS' appears as a secondary legend beneath the effigy. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Large bold numeral '20' dominates the upper field, with the denomination legend 'CENTÉSIMOS' arcing beneath in prominent incuse lettering. The entire central device is encircled by a symmetrical wreath of two olive or laurel branches, tied at the base with a ribbon bow, framing the denomination in a classic numismatic style consistent with mid-twentieth-century Latin American coinage. |
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| Additional information |
Uruguay's shift to aluminium coinage in the 1960s was a direct response to chronic inflation that had been eroding the peso's purchasing power since the early postwar years. By 1965, the metal value of the older cupro-nickel pieces was threatening to exceed their face value — a familiar problem for small-denomination coinage across Latin America in this period. Aluminium solved the immediate cost problem but signaled how badly the monetary situation had deteriorated.