Santiago Mariño was one of the principal military commanders of Venezuelan independence, operating primarily in the eastern theater while Bolívar campaigned in the west — a geographical division that also reflected a genuine rivalry between the two men. This coin was issued as part of a commemorative gold series the Banco Central de Venezuela produced sporadically through the 1980s, a decade when the country's oil revenues were collapsing and the bolívar was under sustained devaluation pressure. The irony of striking a 5,000-bolívar gold coin while the currency itself was eroding was not lost on contemporaries.
Santiago Mariño was one of the principal military commanders of Venezuelan independence, operating primarily in the eastern theater while Bolívar campaigned in the west — a geographical division that also reflected a genuine rivalry between the two men. This coin was issued as part of a commemorative gold series the Banco Central de Venezuela produced sporadically through the 1980s, a decade when the country's oil revenues were collapsing and the bolívar was under sustained devaluation pressure. The irony of striking a 5,000-bolívar gold coin while the currency itself was eroding was not lost on contemporaries.