Chile's 1851 copper fractional issue came at a moment when the republic was struggling to supply small-denomination coinage adequate for daily market transactions. Silver dominated the Santiago mint's output, and copper struck in useful fractions was an intermittent commitment at best. This particular type had a short production window, and surviving examples in problem-free condition are harder to source than catalog frequency suggests.
Chile's 1851 copper fractional issue came at a moment when the republic was struggling to supply small-denomination coinage adequate for daily market transactions. Silver dominated the Santiago mint's output, and copper struck in useful fractions was an intermittent commitment at best. This particular type had a short production window, and surviving examples in problem-free condition are harder to source than catalog frequency suggests.