4 Reales State of Honduras - Provisional

Honduras declared independence from the Central American Federation in 1838 but spent the following two decades in near-constant political turmoil, leaving its monetary infrastructure in ruins. These provisional copper issues were struck to fill an acute small-change shortage — silver being either hoarded or absent — while the government struggled to establish a functioning national mint. The denomination itself is telling: a 4 reales coin in copper rather than silver signals fiscal desperation, not policy.

KM#20d is one of several provisional varieties cataloged from this window, distinguished by die characteristics that reflect improvised rather than institutional production.