Catalog
50 Centésimos Reverse Trial
| Issuer | Panama |
|---|---|
| Year | 1904 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 50 Centesimos (50 centésimos) (0.50 PAB) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The national coat of arms of Panama occupies the central field, depicted in high relief with fine engraving detail. The quartered shield features crossed swords and rifle in the upper quarters, a cornucopia and winged wheel in the lower quarters, with a landscape scene in the middle band. The shield is flanked by two stars on either side, and surmounted by an eagle with outstretched wings grasping a banner in its beak. An arc of seven stars is arranged above the eagle along the upper field. No legend or inscription is present on this trial piece. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is entirely blank, presenting a plain, unworked copper field with no design elements, inscriptions, or devices. The surface shows the natural texture and coloration of the copper planchet. This blank reverse is characteristic of a one-sided reverse trial strike, produced to test the obverse die only. |
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| Additional information |
Panama's coinage in 1904 was a direct consequence of the country's separation from Colombia in November 1903, brokered largely by U.S. interests anxious to secure Canal Zone rights. The new republic needed a monetary system immediately, and contracts went to the Philadelphia Mint, which produced the national coinage beginning in 1904. Trial pieces in copper were struck as part of the approval process before silver production commenced — standard Philadelphia practice for confirming die quality and design acceptance prior to authorizing the working dies for circulation strikes.