Bolivia Pesos

I've spent the last couple years trying to find a 1970 peso from Bolivia, to no avail. The thinking I'd had was that it was too low in value for anyone to bother selling, despite a published mintage of 10,000,000. However, I was just looking at the reported collection distribution here on Numista and noticed something interesting:

1968 10 000 000 – 36%

1969 -- 30%

1970 10 000 000 – 0.7%

1972 -- 15%

1973 5 000 000 – 0.3%

1974 15 000 000 – 35%

1978 10 000 000 – 17%

1980 2 993 000 – 15%

For 1969 and 1972, there is no published mintage amount, yet 30% and 15% of collectors own them.

For 1970 and 1973, while there is a published mintage amount, virtually no one owns them.

Has anyone ever heard of the reason for why these numbers don't line up? Is it possible that the mintage figures were reported incorrectly from the very beginning from official sources (ie., Krause/the Bolivian government)? Can we be sure that the 0.7% and 0.3% are correct?

Edit: I suppose one other (possibly likely) option is that the coins dated 1969 and 1972 were actually minted in 1970 and 1973, respectively, and that's where the mintage figures come from. But I'd be curious to know how those sub-1% collectors happened, then.

I have all of them (most of them multiple times) except for the 1970 and 1973 and that's indeed strange if those mintage or correct.

By the way, it's always easy to add a link to the catalog if you talk about a particular type: N#3226

Perhaps you can ask Virginia if they'd be willing to send you a picture.

https://en.numista.com/echanges/profil.php?id=93527

Took a peek at Ole's collection.  Same thing.

elrich

I've spent the last couple years trying to find a 1970 peso from Bolivia, to no avail. <…>

 

Has anyone ever heard of the reason for why these numbers don't line up? Is it possible that the mintage figures were reported incorrectly from the very beginning from official sources (ie., Krause/the Bolivian government)?

I spent much more years searching for them, including in La Paz, Cochabamba and other Bolivian cities, and I failed. If there were such years of issue, then they should be very rare. But it is most likely that they never existed.

Thanks for the feedback, all. Barring revelatory proof from Victoria (whom I did message), I'm guessing, then, that the 1970 peso is a mythical issue.

Would be nice if we could have pictures for every year so there is definite proof of existence (but this could quintuple to decuple the image space deeded on the server or slow down page loading).

Will there be a comment added to the relevant yearlines (1970, 1973)?

Something like: Reported but not confirmed?

Because it has happened before that after a lengthy discussion a certain year seems to be non-existent but unless you are searching the forum for that specific coin and discussion, you wouldn't know this…

Yes, figures are interesting, Years and mintage shows on Krause catalog, but I think this is one of many mistakes. Virtual Museum of Bolivian Central Bank, says the coins were minted on 1969, 1972, 1974, 1978 and 1980.

I will ask the people who has marked as owing the coin, so we can figure if it really exists (or just keep thinking it doesn't).

Besides, I will add comment to years lines.

Thank you for letting us know, and the other comments.

I am sure these years of 1970 & 1973 do not exist. I believe that the Central Bank probably initially released the mintage numbers of these coins, but maybe in reality it was the release into circulation, but the coins were already minted in those previous years. And from Numista %, it is likely that 1969 mintage is 10 million and 1972 is 5 million.

Those 0.7% and 0.3% from Numista users are simply from people who don't care about the years and they just pick a random line to mark the type of the coins they have.

iiruig

I am sure these years of 1970 & 1973 do not exist. I believe that the Central Bank probably initially released the mintage numbers of these coins, but maybe in reality it was the release into circulation, but the coins were already minted in those previous years. And from Numista %, it is likely that 1969 mintage is 10 million and 1972 is 5 million.

 

Those 0.7% and 0.3% from Numista users are simply from people who don't care about the years and they just pick a random line to mark the type of the coins they have.

I agree, I also feel those years does not exist. I also have the rest of coins, 1 to 4 pieces each, but not the problem years. Central Bank does not list 1970 & 1973, they specifically say “on 1968 were ordered to mint circulation and commemorative coins (for FAO - War against hunger, which only was issued on this year). The minting of coins continued on 1969, 1972, 1974, 1978 and 1980.”.

Also is noticeable Krause shows no mintage figures for 1969 and 1972 issues, while shows 10M and 5M for 1970 and 1973. Is very possible 1969 and 1972 coins were delivered to Bolivia on 1970 and 1973, as they were minted outside, and that is the figures Krause listed; also must have seen 1969 and 1972 coins and added, but without mintage figures.

I have contacted users who have marked as owing the coin (1970/1973), only a few of them replied my request, but all of them confirmed they don't have the coin. As I have noticed, is usual a few users don't give special attention to the years they mark as owned, and others just click on all years, when they register the coins; thse users are who collect by type, not by years and/or variants, and clicking on all years will get the double check mark on the page.

I assume the reason must be cause 1969 & 1972 coins were produced on the next year (1970 & 1973), or production ended at start of next year, but showing dates specified on the Bolivian order. Minthouse may have published the amounts by year of production, not as the date showing on coin, so this is the reason Krause lists mintage. On the other hand, they must have seen 1969 & 1972 coins, so they added them, but without mintage quantity.

So correct figures should be:

1969: mintage 10,000,000; 1970 does not exist; 1972: mintage 5,000,000; 1973 does not exist.

I'm adding this info to coin page, but as we don't have a final confirmation, I will not change mintages nor delete years.

This thread can be turned to solved.