1 Escudo Chile

The 1 Escudo coin, introduced in 1960, was Chile's smallest denomination in a decimal system designed to simplify transactions after years of cumbersome colonial currency.

Weighing just 2.5 grams and measuring 17 millimeters across, it was struck from a bronze alloy at the Santiago Mint. The obverse featured the Chilean coat of arms, with its Andean condor and huemul deer, while the reverse simply stated the value. Production ran until 1975, when inflation rendered it obsolete.

Mintage figures vary by year, but records show peaks in the early 1960s as the public adapted to the new coins. Not every detail is clear; for instance, exact recycling methods for scrap metal remain undocumented.

Some call it unassuming, which it is. After all, in a country of dramatic landscapes, a coin this plain might just blend into the background.