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2 1/2 Centavos United States of Colombia
| Issuer | Colombia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1881 |
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| Value | 21/2 Centavos (0.025 COP) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The large fractional numeral 2 1/2, with the '2' rendered with a flat base and horizontal shading on both the '2' and the '2' of the denominator, occupies the central field within a beaded circle. The circular legend DOS I MEDIO CENTAVOS runs around the upper periphery outside the beaded border, while the date 1881 appears in the lower outer field below the beaded circle. No mint letter is present on this variety. The design is bold and uncluttered, with the denomination rendered prominently in the center. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Colombia's fractional copper-nickel coinage of the 1880s was issued under the Rionegro Constitution's federalist structure, which meant the national government had limited fiscal authority and chronic difficulty maintaining a coherent monetary supply. The 2½ centavos denomination is an awkward fraction born of practical necessity — small transactions required coins that silver could not economically serve.
The Bogotá mint struck this type in limited quantities, and surviving examples in any condition above Fine are genuinely scarce. The federal republic itself was abolished just five years later under the centralizing Constitution of 1886, which ended the "United States of Colombia" name entirely.