From the Bogotá mint of 1621 — maker of the first gold coins of the Americas — through republican "Libertad" gold and the sovereign-standard 5 pesos to the modern peso: Colombia’s coinage is three centuries of gold.
Currency history
- The Bogotá mint was founded in 1621 by order of Philip III of Spain (under military engineer Alonso Turrillo de Yebra); its first products were hand-struck gold macuquinas ("doblones") — the first gold coins of the Americas. Minting ended in 1987; it is now the Museo Casa de Moneda.
- The peso was introduced in 1837, replacing the Colombian real at 1 peso = 8 reales; it was decimalized in 1847 (peso = 10 reales), the real was renamed the décimo in 1853, and the 100-centavo system appeared on coinage in 1872.
- Gold standard 1871: the peso was pegged to the French franc at 1 peso = 5 francs (the peg lasted until 1886).
- "Peso oro" banknotes began in 1910/1915 (100 old pesos = 1 peso oro); the word "oro" was dropped in 1993.
- In 1931 the peg shifted to the U.S. dollar at 1.05 pesos = $1. The modern peso (ISO code COP) is issued by the Banco de la República.
Key series
- Colonial 8 escudos "doubloons" (27.07 g, .875 gold) from Bogotá and Popayán.
- Republican gold: 8 escudos 1822–1838 with the Liberty bust; the 16 pesos "Libertad" from 1837; the 10 pesos Libertad (KM116) 1853–1857.
- 5 pesos gold 1913–1930 — the "Colombian sovereign" (7.9881 g, .917 fine).
- Colonial 8 reales: the pillar type at Bogotá 1759–1772, then the bust type from 1772; Popayán’s P/PN mintmark vs. Bogotá’s NR.
What collectors hunt
- The 1913 5 pesos (17,000 struck) — the key early date of the sovereign-standard gold.
- The "LIBERTAD" incuse headband lettering on early republican gold — look for full headband detail; weak strikes are common.
- Bogotá pillar 8 reales (1759–1772) — scarcer than Mexico City pillars of the same era.
- Fractional colonial escudos (e.g., the 1757 4 escudos) — the sleeper dates of the colonial gold series.
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