Thank you for the presentation. Two of my stepdaughters are from Guatemala, and I shall refer this thread to them.
Siberian Man, thanks for taking the time to photograph your collection of this country's coins. I love the classic beauty of many of them and the 25 centavo, silver, 1956 piece is so different it's a beauty as well. Enjoyed this post.
25 centavos 1943, silver .720, weight - 8,333 g., size - 27 mm, thickness - 1,9 mm, mintage - 150000 pcs. Such coins were released at 1943 & 1944 (moreover, the coins issued in 1944 were minted with the date "1943", mintage was 750000 pcs. It is not possible to determine in which year the presented coin was issued). Demonetized at January 6 1997.
I have had this Guatemala coin since 1964 and it looks like the reverse is double-struck. Guatemala silver 50 cents 1962 Silver, 30 mm, 12.08 gm Monja Blanca Flor Nacional (White Nun National Flower)
50 centavos 1963, silver .720, weight - 12 g., size - 31 mm, mintage - 350000 pcs. Philadelphia Mint (USA). Such coins were released at 1962 & 1963 Demonetized at June 1 1997.
I don't have a lot of Guatemalan but got this at auction a few years ago, it is an essai and fairly rare I believe (it also appears that the "hairlines" are planchet prep lines and were "struck out" by die pressure on the devices): Mintage: about 10 pcs.
Back in the 1980's and into the 90s I was a big collector of Spanish colonial and Latin America republic coins. Some coins came from Freeman Craig, others from Rick Ponterio, as well as other sources. I focused on the pillar 8 reales coinage during this time. I have many coins that need to be photographed. Here's one from that period of collecting. It is an 8 reales, Guatemala, 1770, assayer P, purchased from a Ponterio auction in the late 80's. Note the die clash on the reverse. This is not terribly unusual for this crude coinage. As can be seen, in this high grade example, the dies were used to their limits, and often beyond. I think the sun over mountains coinage of the Republic of Guatemala is one of the most attractive designs of the first half of the 19th century. I'll try to take some snaps of the two examples that I have.
I took a few snaps of the one quetzal, 1925, that I have owned since 1993, purchased from Karl Stephens in December of that year. This coin grades choice EF. As these coins go, this is a decent example, free of any hairlines. There are a few minor contact/circulation marks on both sides. The one quetzals of 1925 had a mintage of 10,000 pieces. In 1932 some 7,000 were reportedly melted, netting approximately 3,000 surviving coins. This coin weighs 33.26 grams Eliz-143, KM-242
Here's my 1896 quarter real. I like the obverse a lot, simple and elegant and with the cutest little puff of smoke. Saw it in an ebay auction last year and did what I had to do.
2 reales 1898, silver. 835, weight - 6,2 g., size - 24 mm, mintage - 5172000 pcs. Engraver: Jean Lagrange. Casa de Moneda de Guatemala. Such coins were released at 1894-99. Demonetized at November 26 1924.
