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2 Centavos
| Issuer | Casa de Moneda de Chile |
|---|---|
| Year | 1878-1894 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Left-facing draped bust of Liberty wearing a elaborate plumed and wreathed helmet, her hair flowing in curled locks behind the neck. The effigy occupies the central field in a classical allegorical style engraved by Auguste Barre. The circular legend REPUBLICA DE CHILE runs along the upper periphery, flanked by an inner beaded border and an outer dentilated rim. The Santiago mint mark 'S' appears below the bust in the lower exergue area. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse features a fully inscriptional design with no central pictorial device. The denomination DOS CENTAVOS is boldly displayed in two lines across the central field, with the date below separated by two small five-pointed stars. The circular legend ECONOMIA ES RIQUEZA (meaning 'Economy is Wealth') arcs along the upper periphery within a beaded inner border and dentilated outer rim, serving as a civic motto characteristic of Chilean minor coinage of the period. |
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| Additional information |
Chile's copper centavo series survived far longer than the government intended. By the late 1880s, rampant depreciation of Chilean silver had made even small-denomination copper coins economically awkward, and the War of the Pacific (1879–1884) disrupted normal fiscal operations entirely. That this type continued striking through 1894 reflects institutional inertia as much as monetary need.
KM#147a distinguishes the copper alloy from an earlier bronze composition — a quiet but meaningful change made at the Santiago mint without public fanfare.