Guatemala
1894 Silver Peso 37mm (24.90 grams) 0.900 Silver (0.7234 oz. ASW)
Reference: KM# 210 | Engraver: Jean Lagrange
LIBERTAD 15 DE SETIEMBRE DE 1821 0,900 1894, Coat-of-arms.
REPUBLICA DE GUATEMALA 30 DE JUNIO DE 1871 UN PESO LAGRANGE, Seated Justice;
in her left hand the balance, on her right a horn of abundance. Her arm
supported by constitution.
You are bidding on the exact item pictured, provided with a Certificate of
Authenticity and Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity.
Guatemala,
officially the Republic of Guatemala (Spanish: República de
Guatemala), is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the
north and west, Belize and the Caribbean to the northeast, Honduras to the
east, El Salvador to the southeast and the Pacific Ocean to the south. With
an estimated population of around 16.6 million, it is the most populated
country in Central America. Guatemala is a representative democracy; its
capital and largest city is Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción, also known as
Guatemala City.
The
territory of modern Guatemala once formed the core of the Maya civilization,
which extended across Mesoamerica. Most of the country was conquered by the
Spanish in the 16th century, becoming part of the viceroyalty of New Spain.
Guatemala attained independence in 1821 as part of the Federal Republic of
Central America, which dissolved by 1841.
From the mid to late 19th
century, Guatemala experienced chronic instability and civil strife.
Beginning in the early 20th century, it was ruled by a series of dictators
backed by the United Fruit Company and the United States government. In
1944, authoritarian leader Jorge Ubico was overthrown by a pro-democratic
military coup, initiating a decade-long revolution that led to sweeping
social and economic reforms. A U.S.-backed military coup in 1954 ended the
revolution and installed a dictatorship.
From
1960 to 1996, Guatemala endured a bloody civil war fought between the
US-backed government and leftist rebels, including genocidal massacres of
the Maya population perpetrated by the military. Since a United
Nations-negotiated peace accord, Guatemala has witnessed both economic
growth and successful democratic elections, though it continues to struggle
with high rates of poverty, crime, drug trade, and instability. As of 2014,
Guatemala ranks 31st of 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries in terms
of the Human Development Index.
Guatemala’s abundance of biologically
significant and unique ecosystems includes a large number of endemic species
and contributes to Mesoamerica’s designation as a biodiversity hotspot.
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