Chile's 1976 coinage was produced under the military junta that had seized power in September 1973. The shift to aluminium for this denomination reflected the broader economic restructuring underway — the junta's adoption of Chicago School monetarist policies had triggered severe austerity, and reducing metal content in low-value coinage was one of several practical responses to inflation that had exceeded 600% annually under the preceding Allende government.
Chile's 1976 coinage was produced under the military junta that had seized power in September 1973. The shift to aluminium for this denomination reflected the broader economic restructuring underway — the junta's adoption of Chicago School monetarist policies had triggered severe austerity, and reducing metal content in low-value coinage was one of several practical responses to inflation that had exceeded 600% annually under the preceding Allende government.