SILVER COINS OF THE CENTRAL AMERICAN REPUBLIC

The present topic is the CAR silver coins of the independent societies of Costa Rica, Guatemala and Honduras, those minted under the banner of the Central American Republic (CAR). The designs are very attractive. It is easy to assemble a type set, and collecting particular denominations ‘by date’ (and Mint location) is mildly practical. Although there are some extreme rarities, most CAR coins are very much affordable in the context of rare or very scarce 19th century silver coins.

From a military perspective, the region of Central America is strategically important as a narrow piece of land connecting North America and South America while bordering both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The main purpose of the CAR was security.

The Central American Republic (CAR) was a loose federation, rather than a true republic. It was generally known, to English speaking people, as the Federal Republic of Central America. The CAR was a strategic alliance with minimal governmental and law enforcement functions.

For some time, all of Central America between Panama and Mexico was part of this ‘federation,’ including the regions that now constitute the nations of Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras. Briefly, the CAR included a sixth state, Los Altos, which was later sliced into two parts. One part of Los Altos was incorporated into Guatemala and the other became part of Mexico.

CAR coins are known for their very distinctive and unusually appealing design, with the sun overlooking mountains on the obverse and a memorable tree on the reverse. Many post-1840 Costa Rican and Guatemalan coins continued to feature the designs of the CAR coins, as if the federation still existed. These are collected as CAR coins and/or as coins of the respective societies. Essentially, CAR coins continued to be minted for many years after the CAR dissolved.

A basic type set of CAR silver would include the following nine coins:

Quarter-Real (1824-51)
Half-Real (1824-45) 90.3% silver
Half-Real (1846-49) 75% silver
One Real (1824, 1828, 1830-31) 90.3% silver
One Real (1848-49) 75% silver & Different Reverse
Two Reales (1825) Small Tree & Abbreviated Reverse
Two Reales (1831-32) Standard CAR Design
Two Reales (1849) 75% silver & Different Reverse
Eight Reales (1824-46)

To read the complete article, see:
Silver Coins of the Central American Republic (www.coinweek.com/featured-news/silver-coins-central-american-republic/)

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