Saturday, August 20, 2011

Coin of the Week: 1901 Uruguay 5 Centesimos

Obverse (Image: Sun with rays)

Uruguay_front

Reverse (Image: Value within laurel wreath)

Uruguay_back

The official currency of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay is the Uruguayan peso, with 100 centesimos equalling 1 peso. The peso has been used since European colonization, but has been devaluated twice in the 1900s: once in 1973 with the introduction of the new peso and again in 1993 when the new peso was replaced with the Uruguayan peso.

This 1901 coin was issued during a period when Uruguay had adopted the gold standard, from 1896 - 1935. The 5 centesimos coin features a sun with rays, a popular coin pattern, on the obverse. The sun is the Sun of May, a representation of the Inca sun god Inti. This was a symbol of the 1810 May Revolution when territories like Argentina and Uruguay gained their independence from Spain. The reverse displays the value within a laurel wreath. 

During my research for this coin, I stumbled upon this interesting website: en.numista.com. If you want to connect with other coin collectors in the world, then check it out!

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