Item number: A1457

Year: AD 1865

Material: Silver

Size: 34 x 34 mm

Manufactured by: Potosi Mint

Provenance: Fuchin 2024

This is a commemorative silver coin minted in AD 1865 under the authority of Manuel Mariano Melgarejo Valencia, a dictator and President of the Republic of Bolivia. The coin, denominated as 1 Melgarejo, did not replace the existing currencies, the Sol (Sole) and the Boliviano, which remained in circulation.

The obverse of the coin features a left-facing bust of Melgarejo in military uniform. Encircling the portrait is the Latin inscription “AL PACIFICADOR DE BOLIVIA,” which translates as “To the Pacifier of Bolivia.” The letters “FP” on the coin likely represent the initials of the official in charge of the Bolivian mint.

On the reverse, the central inscription in Spanish legends “AL VALOR DEL JENERAL MELGAREJO,” meaning “To the Courage of General Melgarejo.” Beneath it, the smaller lettering “666.Ms. 400.Gs” signifies “666 thousandths pure silver, weighing 400 grains.” Encircling the reverse inscription is “GRATITUD DEL PUEBLO POTOSINO EN 1865,” translating to “The Gratitude of the People of Potosí in 1865.” Potosí, historically Bolivia’s most significant silver mining and minting centre, holds great historical and economic importance.

Mariano Melgarejo served as the President of Bolivia from 1864 to 1871, a tenure marked by autocratic rule and radical reforms. Rising to power through a military coup, he maintained his authority primarily through control of the armed forces. His governance was highly contentious, characterised by land reforms that transferred vast tracts of land to foreign investors and local elites, ostensibly to attract investment. However, these policies resulted in significant dispossession among farmers and Indigenous populations, exacerbating societal inequality. He issued currency bearing his own name, the Melgarejo, as a symbol of his authority, while continuing the issuance of the Boliviano in an effort to stabilise the national economy. Nonetheless, his economic strategy, heavily reliant on Bolivia’s silver resources, faltered as global silver prices fluctuated, leading to economic instability. In foreign policy, Melgarejo sought to consolidate his regime by signing treaties with neighbouring Chile and Peru. These agreements were later criticised for undermining Bolivia’s national interests, particularly contributing to territorial losses in subsequent conflicts. His rule remains a polarising chapter in Bolivian history; he is both credited as a reformist leader and condemned for deepening societal unrest and fostering economic vulnerability.

物件編號: A1457

年代: 公元 1865 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 34 x 34 mm

製造地: 波托西鑄幣廠

來源: 福君錢幣 2024

這是一枚公元1865年，由玻利維亞共和國的獨裁者，總統曼努爾·馬里亞諾·梅爾加雷霍·瓦倫西亞(Manuel Mariano Melgarejo Valencia)所發行的政變紀念銀幣。 幣值為1梅爾加雷霍，作為幣值，梅爾加雷霍並未取代原本通行的索爾(sole)和玻利維亞諾(boliviano)。

銀幣正面為梅爾加雷霍的半身像，面朝左，身著軍裝。周圍環繞著拉丁文「AL PACIFICADOR DE BOLIVIA」，意為「致玻利維亞的和平締造者」。其後「FP」應為玻利維亞鑄幣廠負責人之署名。

銀幣背面中央為西班牙文「AL VALOR DEL JENERAL MELGAREJO」，意即「獻給梅爾加雷霍將軍的英勇」。銘文兩側的小字「666.Ms. 400.Gs」意為「千分之666純銀，重400格令」周圍環繞著「GRATITUD DEL PUEBLO POTOSINO EN 1865」，意即「波托西人民於1865年的感謝」，波托西是玻利維亞歷史最悠久也是最大的銀礦與鑄幣廠的所在地。

馬里亞諾·梅爾加雷霍(Mariano Melgarejo)是玻利維亞共和國總統，執政於公元1864年至1871年，以專制統治和激進改革著稱。他憑藉軍權在握，通過政變掌握國家權力。梅爾加雷霍的統治充滿爭議，他推行土地改革，將大片土地轉讓給外國資本和本地精英，以期吸引投資，但導致大量農民和原住民失去土地，進一步加劇了社會不平等。他發行以自身為名的梅爾加雷霍貨幣，作為權力的象徵，也發行玻利維亞諾貨幣，試圖穩定國家的經濟。然而，他過度依賴白銀資源，在全球市場價格波動下，玻利維亞經濟陷入困境。在外交上，他與鄰國智利和秘魯簽訂條約，試圖鞏固政權，但這些條約被視為損害國家利益，尤其是對後來的領土損失產生了深遠影響。梅爾加雷霍的統治評價兩極，他既被視為推動變革的領袖，也被批評為加劇玻利維亞社會動盪的獨裁者。