5 Céntimos 'Puya'

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.