KM# 304.2 - 5 CENTIMOS
Brass Obv: National arms Rev: Small braille with no accent
mark above E in centimos, no Chavez
The Republic of Peru, located on the Pacific coast of South
America, has an area of 496,225 sq. mi. (1,285,220sq. km.) and
a population of *21.4 million. Capital: Lima. The diversified economy
includes mining, fishing and agriculture. Fishmeal, copper,
sugar, zinc and iron ore are exported.
Once part of the great Inca Empire that reached from northern
Ecuador to central Chile, the conquest of Peru by Francisco
Pizarro began in 1531. Desirable as the richest of the Spanish
viceroyalties, it was torn by warfare between avaricious Spaniards
until the arrival in 1569 of Francisco de Toledo, who initiated
2-1/2 centuries of efficient colonial rule, which made Lima the
most aristocratic colonial capital and the stronghold of Spain´s
American possessions. Jose de San Martin of Argentina proclaimed
Peru´s independence on July 28, 1821; Simon Bolivar of
Venezuela secured it in December, 1824 when he defeated the
last Spanish army in South America. After several futile attempts
to re-establish its South American Empire, Spain recognized
Peru´s independence in 1879.
Andres de Santa Cruz, whose mother was a high-ranking
Inca, was the best of Bolivia´s early presidents, and temporarily
united Peru and Bolivia 1836-39, thus realizing his dream of a
Peruvian/Bolivian confederation. This prompted the separate
coinages of North and South Peru. Peruvian resistance and Chilean
intervention finally broke up the confederation, sending
Santa Cruz into exile. A succession of military strongman presidents
ruled Peru until Marshall Castilla revitalized Peruvian politics
in the mid-19th century and repulsed Spain´s attempt to
reclaim its one-time colony. Subsequent loss of southern territory
to Chile in the War of the Pacific, 1879-81, and gradually increasing
rejection of foreign economic domination, combined with
recent serious inflation, affected the country numismatically.
As a result of the discovery of silver at Potosi in 1545, a mint
was eventually authorized in 1565 with the first coinage taking
place in 1568. The mint had an uneven life span during the Spanish
Colonial period from 1568-72. It was closed from 1573-76,
reopened from 1577-88. It remained closed until 1659-1660
when an unauthorized coinage in both silver and gold were
struck. After being closed in 1660, it remained closed until 1684
when it struck cob style coins until 1752.
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