Peruvian LIBRA gold coins are interesting

earlwbollinger · August 1, 2004 11:30AM

Peru used to mint these nice bullion gold Libra coins in Libra, 1/2 Libra and 1/5 Libra sizes.
I find them to be very interesting to collect. They also minted a number of 5 soles gold coins later.

drthunder · August 1, 2004 12:33PM

Very nice coins. I'd eventually like to add a gold coin like that to my collection.

SYRACUSIAN · August 1, 2004 3:00PM

I used to have one of these tiny 1/5th libras, what a nice little coin, I certainly miss it now.

edited to add : these coins were legal tender until 1950.

1jester · August 1, 2004 4:54PM

Sweet!

cosmicdebris · August 1, 2004 7:51PM

earlwbollinger · August 1, 2004 8:19PM

Thanks to all.
The 1/5 Libras are really small, similar to the tiny Mexican gold coins.
I wonder who it is they honored with the portrait on the obverse?

earlwbollinger · August 1, 2004 8:39PM

Well I seem to have answered that myself.

"In 1780 a force of 60,000 Indians revolted against Spanish rule under the leadership of the Peruvian patriot José Gabriel Condorcanqui (1742?-81), who adopted the name of an ancestor, the Inca Tupac Amaru (died 1572). Although initially successful, the up rising was crushed in 1781, and Condorcanqui was tortured and executed, as were thousands of his fellow revolutionaries"

I would probably bet that it was José Gabriel Condorcanqui who took the name Tupac Amaru during that period in time.

Peruvian LIBRA gold coins are interesting

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