1822 Colombian Peso

The 1822 Peso from Gran Colombia was struck on planchets recycled from melted Spanish reales, a practical reuse of metal that underscored the new republic's frugal origins.

This silver coin, minted in Bogota, bears the Gran Colombian coat of arms on one side and the denomination on the other. Weighing about 27 grams with a fineness of .903, it reflects the era's standardization efforts amid post-independence chaos. No two seem exactly alike, thanks to the hand-operated presses of the time.

Mintage figures are murky; records from that period were likely destroyed in later conflicts. I've examined a few over the years, and they're sturdier than you'd expect for coins born of revolution. As for myths about Simon Bolivar carrying one in his pocket, well, that's probably as reliable as a politician's promise.