Catalog
50 Balboas Christmas
| Issuer | Panama |
|---|---|
| Year | 1983 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Obverse description | Central device features the full Coat of Arms of the Republic of Panama, depicting a quartered shield surmounted by a harpy eagle with wings displayed, flanked by nine stars on either side. The shield quarters contain a sword and rifle, a shovel and pickaxe, a cornucopia, and a winged wheel above a canal scene. The circular legend REPUBLICA DE PANAMA arcs along the upper periphery, while the denomination 50 BALBOAS appears along the lower periphery. The fineness inscription 500/1000 ORO FINO is inscribed in the exergue beneath the shield. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
Panama's gold Christmas issues of the early 1980s were produced under contract by foreign mints for the collector market, with the .500 fineness — unusually low for a gold commemorative — keeping the precious metal cost accessible while maintaining nominal face value. The series generated foreign exchange at a moment when Panama's dollar-pegged economy was under strain from regional instability and IMF-negotiated austerity measures following the debt crises sweeping Latin America.