I know that there are some collectors that do not favor the late 1970s, and 1980s Balboas, as many of those dates were minted by the Franklin Mint. They are sometimes called “Rocky Balboas.” However, Panama has not had its own national bank. Since 1904, Balboas were minted by other countries for Panama. Prior to the Franklin Mint contract with Panama, many of the Balboas were minted by the San Francisco Mint. I picked up this 1979 10 Balboas Panama Canal Commemorative. To me, it is a beautiful coin, with a great design. It is very low mintage, approximately 7200. Numista considers it an uncommon coin, and gives it a rarity rating of 90, out of 100. At any rate, it is a beautiful proof Crown-sized coin.
I love my Balboas. Here are a couple 1947 1 Balboa minted at Panama mint according to Numista https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces18304.html And a whopping great lump of Silver from the Franklin mint https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces23893.html
