Digital museum showcasing the collection of worldwide legends over the years! 千古不朽博物館展示多年來收藏的世界傳奇故事!
Republic of Bolivia
10 Bolivianos
玻利維亞共和國
10玻利維亞諾
Item number: A1155
Year: AD 1952
Material: Gold
Size: 21.8 x 21.8 x 1.4 mm
Weight: 7.8 g
Manufactured by: Paris Mint, France
Provenance: Künker 2024
This is a 10 Bolivianos commemorative gold coin issued in AD 1952 by Bolivia, a landlocked country in the Andes Mountains of South America, to celebrate the success of the “Bolivian National Revolution” in April of that year, which overthrew the military government.
The obverse of the coin features the Bolivian coat of arms, with a central round shield displaying a llama, a native animal of South America. Surrounding the shield are nine five-pointed stars, symbolising Bolivia’s provinces, and the national name “REPUBLICA DE BOLIVIA.” Above the shield sits the Andean condor, the largest bird in the Americas, revered by Indigenous peoples since pre-Columbian times as a sacred bird. The outer design is further adorned with a combination of wings and a five-pointed star.
The reverse of the coin features a central relief of a miner, depicted bare-chested, operating machinery inside a mine. Above the miner to the left is the legend “7 Grs.” and to the bottom right, “ORO PURO,” indicating that the coin weighs 7 g and is made of pure gold. The surrounding legend, “INDEPENDENCIA ECONOMICA,” reflects the economic independence policy pursued by the ruling Nationalist Revolutionary Movement (MNR) following the revolution. At the bottom, “★ 31-X-1952 ★” marks the date of the coin’s issuance, October 31, AD 1952.
Bolivia, a landlocked South American country known for its rich mineral resources, experienced prolonged political control by military regimes and severe economic inequality entering the 20th century. In the AD 1951 presidential election, the opposition party, the Nationalist Revolutionary Movement (MNR), won the vote. However, the military government refused to cede power.
On April 9, AD 1952, with covert support from the MNR, the capital’s police took control of La Paz and gained popular backing. The army sent to suppress the uprising quickly defected, and three days later, the military government surrendered and handed over power. Once in control, the MNR implemented progressive policies, including the nationalisation of mines and mandatory basic education, until they were overthrown by a military coup in AD 1964.