The Provisional Government of Valdivia operated in a state of genuine administrative uncertainty following Chilean independence — Valdivia had only fallen to Lord Cochrane's forces in 1820 after a daring raid, and the region's isolation from Santiago meant local authorities improvised monetary solutions rather than waiting for a national mint policy. Billon at this diameter suggests an emergency issue, the silver content deliberately debased to stretch available metal.
KM#3 is among the rarest of the Chilean provisional coinages. Valdivia's mint activity was short-lived and poorly documented.
The Provisional Government of Valdivia operated in a state of genuine administrative uncertainty following Chilean independence — Valdivia had only fallen to Lord Cochrane's forces in 1820 after a daring raid, and the region's isolation from Santiago meant local authorities improvised monetary solutions rather than waiting for a national mint policy. Billon at this diameter suggests an emergency issue, the silver content deliberately debased to stretch available metal.
KM#3 is among the rarest of the Chilean provisional coinages. Valdivia's mint activity was short-lived and poorly documented.