US Minted Panamanian Coins

Here is the 2 1/2 centesimos (Panama Pill).

 

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and the Panama Pill for comparison:

 

Here is one of my favorites, minted by the Franklin mint. :hail:

 

20 Balboa VS 2 1/2 Centesimo

Here is a better comparison in one photo:

:smile

 

LOL A hockey puck and a pill.

 

I saw one of those this week in a dealer's melt box (1974, I think). I liked it, but couldn't talk myself into tying down that much money in a single coin of purely bullion value.

 

panama coin

I found a 1993 Panama balboa in change today...wonder what its worth?? I looked it up on ebay..found one..asking 4 something..I will sell it..hehehehe

 

Panamanian Balboas are equal to the United States Dollar 1:1.

 

The 1930 medios were minted in Philly:

 

I'm from Panama and the Penny all the way to the fifty cent coin look the same as U.S. Texture, weight, size is all equal except for the faces that are printed on the coins and such. I've thrown some of these on toll ways and vending machines and they work perfectly. Wasn't trying to be a slug when doing that. Always thought they were minted in the U.S. and never thought they could be made anywhere else.

 

I had some worn down panama quarters, from the 70s I think. They work in coin star lol. Got rid of a lot of those that way, come to think of it. I think someone should issue a new book about all the foreign coins the us mint has worked on. It might get some us collectors into world coins too

 

I believe the last edition of the book or report of the foreign coins minted by the US Mint was published in 1983. I believe that was the final year any non-US coins were minted in the USA. Other members may have better information and correct or revise these statements.

 

I was given an Excel file on US Mint Foreign Coins Production (produced by the US Mint) for some research I did on my S. Korean Hwan coins, which were also made by the US Mint (1959-1962).

PM me your email address, and I'll send it on to you. I got it from a fellow CTer.

 

No intention to bring back a dead thread, but I would like this chart if you have a copy of it! I recently got (along with some Panamanian Balboas that may be of US origin) a 1941 French-Indochina 20c piece minted in San-Francisco. I may have found another interesting area of study/collecting!

 

I realize this is an old thread, but I have some information that may still be of interest.

I lived in the Canal Zone of Panama from 1973-1977, ages 7 to 11. I was the youngest member of the Crossroads Coin Club, which I attended with my mother, and over those 4 years, I assembled a respectable Panama coin collection. I recall other members telling me that up through at least the 1970's, all Panamanian coinage was minted in Philadelphia. In the former Canal Zone, and in Panama itself, the U.S. Dollar and the Panamanian Balboa were 1:1, and the coinage was interchangeable. They were the same weight and size, except for the novelty coins, such as the 1904 "pill" (2.5 centesimos), the 5 Balboa, and the 20 Balboa. Panama did not have paper currency, and used the U.S. Dollar. When we went to the bank, we could combine Panamanian and U.S. coins in rolls, and a mix of change was customarily received received during any local transaction.

The 1904 "pill" was always a collectors item. I remember some members had rolls of them, which looked kind of cool.

Danco made a Panamanian coin album for collecting, and I still have my collection.

Somewhere, I still have membership cards from that old coin club...

David Albert

 

I also have a 1 balboa 1947 minted in Philadelphia and a 20 balboa by the Franklin Mint

 

I appreciate the story dalbert. I collect Panama coins because I think they have cool designs and mirror US coinage, making it easier to understand silver content and value. The huge and tiny coins are fun to collect too!

 

I visited Panama in 1973 when I was 10 with my grandparents. Went through the canal and lockes. I picked this up last year but have a few circulated coins that I have had for the last 47 years from my visit that I got from circulation when there.

 

Did the U.S. Mint the 1/2 balboa in 1982?

 

Nice comparison.