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5 Céntimos 'Puya'
| Issuer | Venezuela |
|---|---|
| Year | 1983 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | The Venezuelan national coat of arms occupies the central field, featuring a quartered shield with a sheaf of wheat in the upper left canton, crossed flags and weapons in the upper right, and a white horse passant in the lower half. An arc of seven five-pointed stars surmounts the shield. The circular legend REPUBLICA DE VENEZUELA runs along the upper periphery within a beaded border, with the date 1983 inscribed in the exergue below the shield. |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The informal name "Puya" — a colloquial Venezuelan term for this denomination — reflects how thoroughly the coin embedded itself in everyday street-level commerce. By 1983, Venezuela's oil-dependent economy was under serious strain following the collapse of petroleum revenues, and the bolivar's managed exchange rate was becoming increasingly difficult to defend. The government devalued the bolivar in February 1983 — "Viernes Negro," Black Friday — a watershed in modern Venezuelan monetary history. The shift to nickel clad steel that same year was a direct cost-cutting response.