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500 Balboas Puma
| Issuer | Panama |
|---|---|
| Year | 1979 |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Obverse description | The national coat of arms of Panama is depicted centrally, featuring the shield with its traditional quartered design, flanked by nine stars above and below. The country name REPUBLICA DE PANAMA arcs along the upper legend, while the motto PRO MUNDI BENEFICIO appears on a banner within the design. The fineness designation 900/1000 ORO FINO and the face value 500 BALBOAS are inscribed in the lower field. The mint mark FM, denoting the Franklin Mint, appears to the left of the coat of arms. |
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| Mintage | 1979 FM - - 190 1979 FM - Proof - 1,667 |
| Additional information |
Panama's 1979 gold issues were struck to capitalize on the collector market surrounding the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, signed in 1977, which guaranteed the transfer of the Canal Zone to Panamanian sovereignty by 1999. The 500 Balboas denomination was never intended for circulation — the balboa itself was a currency unit pegged 1:1 to the US dollar, and Panama had no domestic gold coinage tradition to speak of.
Franklin Mint produced several of these large-format Panamanian gold pieces under contract during this period.