Catalog
20 Pesos
| Issuer | Casa de Moneda de Chile |
|---|---|
| Year | 1896-1917 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 20 Pesos |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The Chilean national coat of arms occupies the central field, featuring a divided shield bearing a five-pointed star and horizontal stripes, supported by a crowned huemul (Andean deer) rearing to the left and a crowned condor with spread wings to the right. Above the shield rises an elaborate plume of three ostrich feathers. Below the supporters, olive and laurel branches are crossed at the base, resting on a rocky ground. The legend VEINTE PESOS arcs along the upper periphery, and the date appears in the lower exergue. The Santiago mint mark So is visible to the left of the shield. The entire design is enclosed within a beaded border. |
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| Reverse lettering | VEINTE PESOS 1896 |
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| Additional information |
Chile's gold 20 Pesos series coincided with a period of extraordinary national wealth driven by nitrate revenues following the War of the Pacific (1879–1884), in which Chile seized the Atacama territories from Bolivia and Peru. The Santiago mint's output expanded considerably on the strength of that windfall. Production continued into the early twentieth century before collapsing as nitrate markets began their long decline under competition from synthetic fertilizers developed in Germany after the Haber-Bosch process was commercialized around 1913.
The series runs across multiple date points through 1917, with some years seeing dramatically lower output than others — a reflection of fluctuating export revenues rather than any minting disruption.