Policarpa Salavarrieta is an enigmatic figure in the struggle for revolution against the Spanish rule in Latin America during the early part of the 19th century. Indeed, her actual given name is not even certain as her birth certificate has never been located. It is conjectured that she was born ca. 1791, even her birthplace has been the subject of disagreement. What is known is that she was a prominent and productive spy for the Revolutionary movement. Under the pretense of being a seamstress for well placed Royalist families in Bogota, she employed her cover to discern much useful information which came to compromise the Royalist movement. When couriers connected to her were captured by the Spanish, she was identified as a Revolutionary spy, was captured by the Spanish and given a cursory trial and summarily executed on 14th November 1817. Policarpa has long been recognised as one of the most significant of female Latin Revolutionaries, she was remembered as early as 1910 on a Colombian postage stamp, in 1967 with the proclamation of 14th November as "Day of the Colombian Woman" and a couple of previous issues of Colombian paper money and one 5 Pesos coin from 1972. Her continued presence on Colombia's money is a reflection of a country giving recognition for a patriot, and hero of the struggle for independence.
I also have this coin at home (not the one pictured, but several of the same coin) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Policarpa_moneda.JPG Allegedly, she is the only REAL woman to be depicted on colombian currency. Kind of strange they would depict her execution on a coin. It's strange how different Colombia, Panama, Venezuela, and Ecuador can be, yet you visit anyone of those countries and they all honor/commemorate the same people.
