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50 Quetzales Pattern; Brass
| Issuer | Guatemala |
|---|---|
| Year | 1995 |
| 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 |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | X#3a.1 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | A finely detailed scarlet macaw (Guacamaya roja), Guatemala's national bird, depicted perched on a diagonal branch occupying the central and right portions of the field, with meticulously engraved plumage rendered in high relief. To the left in the middle ground, a detailed view of the baroque facade of the Cathedral of Santiago de los Caballeros in Antigua Guatemala is depicted. The inscription 'GUACAMAYA' appears in the left field, and the date '1995' is incused in the lower right field. The central design is framed within an incuse octagonal border set against a polished flat field. |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
Pattern coinage in Guatemala during the mid-1990s was largely driven by the Banco de Guatemala's exploration of higher-denomination circulating coins that never materialized — the 50 Quetzales face value represented roughly ten U.S. dollars at 1995 exchange rates, an impractical denomination for everyday commerce in a country where the quetzal had suffered sustained inflationary pressure since the 1980s. The brass specification suggests a cost-conscious trial, testing whether a base-metal alloy could lend sufficient visual weight to justify the denomination.
The X# prefix in Krause's catalog designates it as an official pattern — produced by or for the issuing authority, never released for circulation. Surviving examples are typically in mint state by definition.