Catalog
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
| Issuer | Venezuela |
|---|---|
| Year | 1983 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Y#49a, NCV#mv5cts-db |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| 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.