The 1930 gold issue coincides with the centenary of Simón Bolívar's death, which Gómez exploited as a nationalistic spectacle while running Venezuela as a personal fiefdom. He had held power since 1908, alternating between the presidency and the army command to maintain legal fictions of constitutional rule. By 1930 Venezuela's oil revenues — Maracaibo production had made the country one of the world's top exporters by the mid-1920s — gave the regime both the hard currency and the political motive to strike prestige gold coinage.
Gómez died in office in December 1935, still in power after 27 years.
The 1930 gold issue coincides with the centenary of Simón Bolívar's death, which Gómez exploited as a nationalistic spectacle while running Venezuela as a personal fiefdom. He had held power since 1908, alternating between the presidency and the army command to maintain legal fictions of constitutional rule. By 1930 Venezuela's oil revenues — Maracaibo production had made the country one of the world's top exporters by the mid-1920s — gave the regime both the hard currency and the political motive to strike prestige gold coinage.
Gómez died in office in December 1935, still in power after 27 years.