Gold and silver coins of Peru began to be minted in the XVIth century. As long as research by archaeologists shows, small copper axles, shells and coca leaves served as money. Today, only the national currency of sol is in circulation in Peru. Gold and silver coins are produced only for collective and commemorative purpose. Their cost is much higher than their nominal value, so they can serve as a means for investment.
Silver coins
Soles
0.2 sol denomination
- minted in 1836-1916
0.5 sol denomination
- minted in 1915-1935
1 sol denomination
- Lima, 1830
- minted in 1865-1935
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5 soles denomination
- minted in 1866
50 soles denomination
- “Tupac Amaru” of 1971
100 soles denomination
- “100 Years of Japan-Peru Trade Relations” of 1973
200 soles denomination
- “Aviation Heroes of Peru: Jorge Chavez and Jose Quinones” of 1975
5000 soles denomination
- ”100th Anniversary of the Battle of Iquique” of 1979
- “1982 World Cup” of 1982
10,000 soles denomination
- “100 years of the Battle of La Brena – Andrés A. Caceres” of 1982
New soles
1 sol denomination
- “Encounter of the Two Worlds, horizontal” of 1994
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- “100 years of José Carlos Mariategui” of 1994
- “Grand Marshal Louis José de Orbegoso y Moncada” of 1995
- “100 years to Victor Raul Haya de la Torre” of 1995
- “100th Anniversary of the National Mining Oil Society” of 1996
- “Ibero-American series” of 1997
- “100 years of Raul Porras Barrenechea” of 1997
- “200 years of the Great Marshal Ramon Castilla” of 1997
- “100 years of military school in Chorillo” of 1998
- “250 years of Juan Pablo Vikardi Guzman” of 1998
- “75 years of the Geological Society in Peru” of 1999
- “150 Years of Chinese Immigration to Peru” of 1999
- “100 Years of Japanese Immigration to Peru” of 1999
- “Friendship and cooperation: Peru-Ecuador” of 1999
- “Construction of the transatlantic railway 1818-1899. Ernest Malinowski” of 1999
- “The Great Admirals of Peru: Miguel Grau” of 2000
- “40 years of the National University of San Marcos” of 2001
- “50 years of the Numismatic Society of Peru” of 2001
- “200 years of Alexander von Humboldt” of 2002
- “World Cup 2006” of 2004
- “Machu Picchu” of 2005
- “130 years of “Club Regatta Lima” of 2005
- “Volleyball” of 2007
- “100 years of railway in Peru” of 2008
- “150 years of soles” of 2013
- “50 years ago.1963 ” of 2014
- “175 Years of Independence and Integrity in Commerce in Peru” of 2014
- “Aviation Heroes of Peru: 100 years of José Abelardo Quiñonesa, of 2014
- “125th Anniversary of BCP of 2014
- “Cultural roots” of 2015
- “The wealth and pride of Peru: 450 years of the National Mint” of 2015
- “200 years of Mariano Melgar” of 2015
50 soles denomination
- “Commercial relations of Peru-Japan” of 1993
Intis
0.5 inti denomination
- minted in 1989
100 intis denomination
- minted in 1986
200 intis denomination
- minted in 1986
Reales
0.5 real denomination
- minted in 1572-1588
1 real denomination
- minted in 1568-1570
- minted in 1824
2 reales denomination
- minted in 1572-1588
- minted in 1828
4 reales denomination
- minted in 1568-1570
- minted in 1839
8 reales denomination
- minted in 1574-1616
- “Fernando VII” of 1810
- minted in 1823
- minted in 1838
- minted in 1842
Dinero
0.5 dinero denomination
- minted in 1863-1908
1 dinero denomination
- minted in 1869-1912
Pesetas
5 pesetas denomination
- minted in 1880
Gold coins
Libras
0.2 libra denomination
- minted in 1961
0.5 libra denomination
- minted in 1963
1 libra denomination
- minted in 1927
Escudos
1 escudo denomination
- minted in 1742
2 escudos denomination
- minted in 1698
4 escudos denomination
- minted in 1752
8 escudos denomination
- minted in 1742
- minted in 1826
- minted in 1862
Soles
0.5 sol denomination
- minted in 1976
1 sol denomination
- “Peru’s Wealth and Pride: 450th Anniversary of the National Mint” of 2015
20 sol denomination
- minted in 1863
50 sol denomination
- minted in 1930
- “400th Anniversary of the Lima Mint” of 1961-1966
- “100th Anniversary of the Battle of Callao” of 1966
-
minted in 1967
100 sol denomination
- minted in 1965
What Mint produced the coins?
The first coins, distributed in Peru, were brought by the Spanish conquerors in 1532. In 1565, 30 years after the foundation of Lima, King Philip II ordered the creation of the “Lima Mint” (Mint), which began to function three years later. The creation of the Mint responded to the growing pace of silver mining, which was the main raw material for coins minting. That is why, until the middle of the XVIII century, this Mint produced only silver coins and after 1821, when Peru gained independence, they began to mint their national currency.
Approximate cost of some Peruvian coins on the market
|
Denomination |
Metal |
Year of issue |
Name |
Price ($ USD) |
|
2 reales |
Ag |
1828 |
* |
45,06 |
|
4 reales |
Ag |
1836 |
* |
65,20-91,33 |
|
8 reales |
Ag |
1818 |
“Fernando VII” |
78,22 |
|
0,2 sol |
Ag |
1836-1916 |
* |
14,38-15,74 |
|
0,5 sol |
Ag |
1915-1935 |
* |
17,34-20,29 |
|
1 sol |
Ag |
1830 |
“Lima” |
35,48 |
|
1 sol |
Ag |
1865-1935 |
* |
35,96-61,52 |
|
50 soles |
Ag |
1971 |
“Tupac Amaru” |
28,76 |
|
100 soles |
Ag |
1973 |
“Commercial relations of Peru-Japan” |
28,76-39,47 |
|
200 soles |
Ag |
1975 |
“Jorge Chavez” |
21,17-30,84 |
|
5000 soles |
Ag |
1982 |
“1982 World Cup” |
30,36-37,31 |
|
10000 soles |
Ag |
1982 |
“100 years of the Battle of La Brena – Andrés A. Caceres” |
29,32 |
|
0,5 dinero |
Ag |
1905-1908 |
* |
3,20-4,79 |
|
1 dinero |
Ag |
1869-1912 |
* |
4,79-19,98 |
|
50 soles |
Au |
1967 |
* |
1314,82 |
|
100 soles |
Au |
1965 |
* |
2558,65 |
Interesting Facts
- The silver coin of 50 soles denomination of 1971 on the obverse depicts Tupac Amaru, who was the last ruler of the Inca people in Peru,.
- Jorge Chavez, also known as Geo Chavez, was a Peruvian pilot. Even at a young age, he achieved fame for his aviation exploits, and he died in 1910 after a strong wind broke the wings of his fragile airplane Blerio XI. The plane felt from a height of twenty meters when landing after the first time flew over the Alps. He is depicted on a silver coin 200 soles of 1975 coinage.
- Golden Peruvian libra minted from 1898 to 1931 were represented by denominations: 1/2 Peruvian libra, 1/5 Peruvian libra and 1 Peruvian libra. These coins were in circulation simultaneously with silver soles.
- The silver coin of 1 sol of 2001 depicts the Main National University in Lima “San Marcos”, which is the oldest in America. It was founded by the Spanish king Carlos I in 1551. The name was given by the name of St. Mark, who was the patron of the monastic school of the Dominican Order, on the basis of which they founded the university.
- Silver coin of 1 new sol denomination of 1990 depicts the portrait of José Carlos Mariatega, who is known as a writer, literary critic, essayist, journalist, historian, philosopher and member of the labor movement in Peru.
- New coin of 1 sol denomination (1997) depicts Ramon Castilla, who was the famous Marshal of Peru, a statesman, and also served as president of Peru three times from 1845 to 1863.
- Mariano Melgar (1791-1815) was a Peruvian patriot, poet, artist, and fighter for the cause of independence from Spain. Melgar also became one of Peru’s most prominent romantic poets in the entire history of the nineteenth century, thanks to the most famous of his poetic love songs, known as harawi.
- Machu Picchu, depicted on 1 sol coin of 2005, is the oldest city in Peru and all of America, as well as a place of pilgrimage for tourists all over the world. Since 2007, he was awarded the honorary title of “New Wonder of the World.”