Issued to mark the sesquicentennial of the Crossing of the Andes, the joint military campaign in which José de San Martín led the Army of the Andes from Mendoza through the Cordillera in January and February of 1817 to surprise and ultimately defeat the Spanish royalist forces at the Battle of Chacabuco. The crossing itself — roughly 6,000 troops, artillery, and livestock over passes exceeding 4,000 meters — remains one of the most logistically audacious military operations in South American history.
Chile's commemorative gold program of the late 1960s produced several large-format pieces in this weight class, most in limited quantities intended for collectors rather than circulation. Fr#58 is one of the heavier modern gold issues in the Chilean series.
Issued to mark the sesquicentennial of the Crossing of the Andes, the joint military campaign in which José de San Martín led the Army of the Andes from Mendoza through the Cordillera in January and February of 1817 to surprise and ultimately defeat the Spanish royalist forces at the Battle of Chacabuco. The crossing itself — roughly 6,000 troops, artillery, and livestock over passes exceeding 4,000 meters — remains one of the most logistically audacious military operations in South American history.
Chile's commemorative gold program of the late 1960s produced several large-format pieces in this weight class, most in limited quantities intended for collectors rather than circulation. Fr#58 is one of the heavier modern gold issues in the Chilean series.