Potosí 1773 | Mint House – Casa de la Moneda | 250 years – años

Jorge Manuel Soruco Ruiz, Vision 360:

The Mint will release a commemorative piece for its 250th anniversary

The coin was designed by students Limbert Martin Huanca Aguirre and Alex William Sánchez Huallpa. Municipal and departmental authorities approved the concept.

FOTO: FCBCB

PHOTO: FCBCB

On one side is the facade of the National Mint Museum (CNM). On the other, the figurehead hanging in one of its arches joins with Cerro Rico. This is the approved design for the commemorative coin marking the repository’s 250th anniversary, celebrated last year.

According to the Cultural Foundation of the Central Bank of Bolivia (FCBCB), the institution that manages the museum, the design was approved on March 20 by the Departmental Legislative Assembly of Potosí and the Municipal Council of Potosí. The date for the piece to be released to the public has not yet been specified.

The process began with the Commemorative Die Design contest organized last year by the repository, aimed at young people from Potosí. Limbert Martin Huanca Aguirre (a student at Pichincha College) and Alex William Sánchez Huallpa (a student at the Faculty of Arts of the Autonomous University Tomás Frías) were the winners. According to the jury, both designs captured the historical importance of the National Mint House for the city of Potosí and its cultural heritage.

Face with the facade of the CNM.  PHOTO: FCBCB

In August 2023, the Central Bank of Bolivia announced the minting of the Commemorative Coin for the 250th anniversary of the inauguration of the second Royal Mint of Potosí. After this announcement, efforts began to obtain approval for the design from municipal and departmental authorities.

The CNM coordinated meetings with the Municipal Council and the Departmental Legislative Assembly to present and explain the design of the piece, as well as its historical and cultural significance.

The CNM is the second building where coins were minted during the Colonial period. It began operations in 1773.

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