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| Slot: |
2 Bolivares 2007-2016 Issue P88 |
| Item: |
Venezuela, Banco Central
2 Bolívares 2012 - Printer: CMV |
| Grade: |
PMG 67 EPQ |
| Cert #: |
2506666-072
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Owner Comments
At the time it was announced and placed into circulation, at least officially, this note was worth about US$0.93.
The front of this note features an image of a younger Francisco de Miranda. A portrait of an older Miranda was used on the 200 Bolivares Soberano note (VEN107).
Miranda led a romantic and adventurous life in the post-enlightenment period. He participated in the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolution, and the Spanish American wars of independence. He was an idealist that developed a plan to liberate and unify Spanish America, but his own military initiatives failed and ended in 1812 - he was handed over to his enemies and four years later, died in a Spanish prison. Although his own plans for the independence of the Spanish American colonies failed, he is regarded as a forerunner of Simón Bolívar, who won independence for the Spanish colonies in South America.
He was Venezuelan – born in Caracas. He was part of a wealthy family – leading to him being well educated – but his family was not part of high society.
He served with the Spanish in their efforts against the British in the American Revolution but ended up in exile in the United States for his role in the Capture of the Bahamas. He traveled through Europe (including Britain, Prussia, Sweden, and Russia) from 1785 to 1790). He took an active role in the French Revolution and served with the French army for a time, but he ended up getting arrested and imprisoned twice and eventually gave up on the French cause – going back to England.
He returned to Latin America in 1804 and started making trouble for the Spanish and helped establish the First Republic of Venezuela. When that fell to the Royalists he was arrested – by Bolivar – and handed over to the Royalists to secure a passport out of Venezuela for Bolivar. He was buried in a mass grave and an empty tomb has subsequently been made for him in the National Pantheon of Venezuela.
The back of the note shows “Orinoco River Dolphins” (Inia geoffrensis) with the Coro Dunes in background and a Gusano flower. The dolphins are more often called “Amazon River Dolphins” or “Pink River Dolphins” – because the adults are pink. Some authorities recognize the “Orinoco River Dolphin” as a separate and distinct subspecies or species from the Amazon River Dolphin and some do not. They’re the largest species of river dolphin and males can weight 185 kg (408 lbs). The species was on the Red list of endangered species as of 2018. Captive breeding is not considered a conservation option however because they exhibit intra-species aggression and they usually survive less than 3 years in captivity (not great for an animal that can live 30 years or more).
I am having trouble so far finding anything on the significance of the flower.
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| Slot: |
5 Bolivares 2007-2016 Issue P89 |
| Item: |
Venezuela, Banco Central
5 Bolívares Pick Unlisted 2014 - Printer: CMV |
| Grade: |
PMG 67 EPQ |
| Cert #: |
8046637-009
|
Owner Comments
At the time it was announced and placed into circulation, at least officially, this note was worth about US$2.30.
The front of this note features a portrait of Pedro Camejo. He was a Venezuelan soldier that fought for the royal (Spanish) army before switching sides to fight for the rebels under Simon Bolivar. It probably should not be too surprising that he deserted the royal army since it was never his idea to be part of it – he had been a slave and was “put at the service of the king.” That seems like a very nice way of saying that the Don sent him to fight instead of enlisting himself.
He was the only black officer in the rebel army – having reached the rank of lieutenant. He was also known for his bravery and skill – He was always in the first line of attack in a battle. He used a spear and was what was known as a lancer. These things – one the other or both – are said to have earned him a nickname that, while probably meant in a mostly positive way at the time, would not be acceptable in a modern setting.
He died of injuries sustained in the Battle of Carabobo in 1821, which is the battle that effectively won the war for Gran Colombia’s independence (Gran Colombia being a collection of most of what eventually became Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Panama).
The back of the notes shows a Giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus) with the plains of Los Llanos in the background. The giant armadillo is the largest living species of armadillo. The have more teeth than any other terrestrial mammal – with around 80 to 100 – and their sickle-shaped front claws – which can be up to 22 cm long – are proportionately the largest claws of any living mammal – which is an interesting defensive feature for something that mostly eats termites.
The species inhabits most of South America from Venezuela down into Northern Argentina. But, while they are spread far and wide, they can be locally rare and are considered “vulnerable to extinction” with a population decline estimated at 30-50 percent in the last 30 years. Unlike many other threatened species, they are heavily hunted for meat and are a primary source of protein for some areas – which will no doubt complicate conservation efforts. They are protected by law in over half a dozen South American countries and trading in them is banned but there is still hunting for food and a black market for them. Giant armadillos have never been bred in captivity and tend to die during transport or while in captivity.
Los Llanos (“The Plains”) is a large tropical grassland plain located east of the Andes, between Colombia and Venezuela. The main river in the area – the Orinoco – marks the border between Colombia and Venezuela. During the rainy season (May to October), parts of Los Llanos can flood up to a meter. This turns the woodlands and grassland into a temporary wetland. This flooding made the area unfit for most agriculture until the development of some new modern techniques and gave it a unique mix of wildlife. The area supports around 70 species of water birds, including the scarlet ibis and the white-bearded flycatcher.
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| Slot: |
10 Bolivares 2007-2016 Issue P90 |
| Item: |
Venezuela, Banco Central
10 Bolívares 2013 |
| Grade: |
PMG 67 EPQ |
| Cert #: |
8046596-003
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Owner Comments
At the time it was announced and placed into circulation, at least officially, this note was worth about US$4.65.
The front of this note shows Cacique Guaicaipuro – a 16th century native Venezuelan chief that resisted the conquest of the region by the Spanish until his death in 1568.
The Spanish discovered gold in the area controlled by this chieftain’s tribe and started mining for it. He attacked with a coalition of several tribes and forced the Spanish to leave – until the Spanish came back with fresh troops. The Spanish thought they had won and most of the troops left. He then attacked the mines again – ambushing and killing a Spanish conquistador. This rallied more tribes to support Guaicaipuro and the Spanish were forced out – for several years, this time.
In 1567, however, the city of Caracas was founded and the founder – Diego de Losada – wanted the thread of these tribes and this chieftain gone. So, in 1568, native guides led some Spanish soldiers to Guaicaipuro’s hut – which they burned down. When he came out swinging, so to speak, and they killed him.
Featuring this 16th century chieftain is a major departure from the rest of this set, which overwhelmingly features figures from the early 19th century and the struggle for independence from Spain.
In the early 2000s, Hugo Chavez started a new policy of “re-assessing and valuing the role of Venezuela’s indigenous peoples in a historical narrative which has traditionally given greater prominence to the Spanish conquistadores” – history, as they say, is written by the winners. There was a symbolic relocation of his remains (which were never really found) to the national pantheon in late 2001. “Dia de la Raza” (America’s Discovery Day) was rebranded as “Dia de la Resistencia” (Day of Indigenous Resistance). Chavez often mentioned Guaicaipuro and other chiefs “with the purpose of inspiring Venezuelan’s to resist what he called the policies of American Imperialists.” So. this note and other references to Guaicaipuro come off like part of an anti-United States Nationalist PR campaign.
The back of the note shows an American harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) with the Ucaima Falls at Canaima National Park in the background. The harpy eagle is one of the largest living species of eagle in the world and the largest raptor living in a rainforest. Females can weigh 6 to 9 kg normally and wingspans can be 176-224 cm.
The species is almost extinct in Mexico and Central America but is also found throughout Brazil and as far as Argentina.
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| Slot: |
20 Bolivares 2007-2016 Issue P91 |
| Item: |
Venezuela, Banco Central
20 Bolívares 2011 - Printer: CMV |
| Grade: |
PMG 68 EPQ |
| Cert #: |
8085715-052
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Owner Comments
At the time it was announced and placed into circulation, at least officially, this note was worth about US$9.30.
The front of this note shows Luisa Cáceres de Arismendi – the wife of Juan Bautista Arismendi, a general in the rebel army. She was 13 years old and living with her family in Caracas when the 1812 earthquake flattened the city. She met her future husband on Christmas Eve in 1813. Her father was killed by royalist troops. Her brother then joined the rebels and was captured and executed only a few days after enlisting. After that, they moved to the Island of Margarita – where the Arismendi family offered security – but four of her aunts died making the trip. She married her husband on 4 December 1814 – she was 15 and he was 39.
On 24 September 1815 she was captured and imprisoned on the day before her 16th birthday to put pressure on her husband, who had been appointed governor of the island. She was pregnant at the time and initially placed under house arrest before being moved to a dungeon. After months of poor food and poor treatment she gave birth to a daughter in January 1816, who died shortly thereafter.
She was moved several times to prevent her from falling into rebel hands. The decision was eventually made to send her to Spain, but the ship was hit by pirates and stranded on an island for a time. Spanish authorities eventually recovered her and others in 1817. Later, in mid-1818, with help including that of an Englishman, she escaped on a Frigate and made it to Philadelphia in the United States.
Her husband sent a Colonel to bring her home and she arrived back in Margarita in July 1818. In September 1819, about a week before she turned 20, the Council of the Indies dictated that she would be granted liberty to choose her residence.
She had 11 total children before her death at the age of 66.
The back of the note shows Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) with Macanao Mountain in the background. Hawksbill sea turtle is the only surviving member of the Eretmochelys genus, and it is listed critically endangered by the World Conservation Union – primarily due to human fishing activity, even though they have a worldwide distribution. The capture of and trade in this species or products derived from it is banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITIES).
These turtles get their name from a sharp, curving beak with a prominent cutting edge – which is kind of interesting for something that eats mostly sea sponges, jellyfish, and sea anemones. They are well adapted for open ocean swimming but spend most of their lives in shallow lagoons and coral reefs. Adults are about 1 meter long and weigh about 80 kg (180 lbs) – about the same as an adult male human. It takes 20 years for one to reach maturity – also in line with humans.
Macanao Mountain is the highest peak in the Macanao peninsula on Margarita Island (gotta love that name). Christopher Colombus landed on the island in 1498. It was on this island that Simon Bolivar was confirmed as Commander-in-Chief of the Second Republic of Venezuela in 1816. The primary industry on the island, until recently, was tourism – which has declined 90% from 2010 to 2020 as the troubles in Venezuela have dragged on and deepened.
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| Slot: |
100 Bolivares 2007-2016 Issue P93 |
| Item: |
Venezuela, Banco Central
100 Bolívares 2015 - Printer: CMV |
| Grade: |
PMG 68 EPQ |
| Cert #: |
8077102-070
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Owner Comments
At the time it was announced, at least officially, this note was worth about US$46.50.
The front of this note (and VEN99) shows Simón Bolívar (Full name Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte-Andrade y Blanco). He is known as “El Libertado” (The Liberator) was the general and politician that led a rebellion in and won independence for what would eventually become Venezuela, Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru and Panama. At the time he helped make and lead a united state called “Gran Colombia.” Bolivar is considered a national icon, not just in Venezuela but in most of the countries that gained independence from Spain through his efforts. He is the reason that the Venezuelan currency was called “the Bolivar.” The nation of Bolivia is named for him.
The image on this note seems to be based on a painting called “El Libertado,” from 1860 - which would have meant the portrait was made about 30 years after Bolivar died.
He wanted a strong Latin American union that could defend itself against Spain, other European powers, and the emerging power of the United States. He did not get what he wanted. Gran Colombia fought a series of civil wars and uprisings over 9 years and ultimately proved unable to remain a unified state. It dissolved in 1830 and became Venezuela, Ecuador and New Granada. He delivered his final address on 20 January 1830 and resigned as present in April of that year. He planned to live in exile in Europe, but he never caught up to the belongings he had sent ahead of him. He died in De 1830 of tuberculosis at the age of 47.
He said, “all who served the revolution have plowed the sea,” and “America is ungovernable.” In addressing the Colombian Congress, he said, “Fellow Citizens! I blush to say this: Independence is the only benefit we have acquired, to the detriment of all the rest.” He asked on his deathbed that his writings be burned but his wishes were ignored.
What has been done with his remains in the ~190 years since his passing raises the question of whether the Venezuelan government has ever understood the meaning of the phrase, “may he rest in peace.” See my comments on VEN111 if you want to know what I mean by this.
In Jan 2008, as the Bolivar Fuerte was being released – likely as a stunt to distract from the state the country was in – Hugo Chavez set up a commission to investigate the possibility that he was poisoned. They exhumed and tested his remains in July 2011 to test for arsenic or other poisons but found evidence of nothing. Why would someone try to kill him, leading Chavez to make claims of traitors poisoning him?
He earned a lot of enemies in part by trying to establish a strong central government for Gran Colombia with a lifetime president. A large portion of his final address to the nation in 1830 was spent on asking people not to listen to those that “have conspired to tear your hearts from me, attributing to me their own motives, making me seem to be the instigator of projects they themselves have conceived, representing me, finally, as aspiring to a crown which they themselves have offered on more than one occasion and which I have rejected with the indignation of the fiercest republican.” So Bolivar tried and failed to do what George Washington probably could have easily done but refused to in the United States about 30 years prior His decision to peacefully step down and prepare to go into self-imposed exile helped protect his legacy and history has been kinder to him than a lot of the strong men and dictators that came later.
The back of this note shows a Red siskin (Carduelis cucullata) with Cerro El Ávila in the background. Cerro El Ávila is a peak in the Cordillera de la Costa Central mountain range in El Ávila National Park. The park is known as "el pulmón de la ciudad" (the lungs of the city). The peak is home to the longest cable car ride in the world and supports recreational activities like running, biking, rock climbing, camping, and zip-lining. There are several hotels and restaurants situated in the surrounding hills and ever December a large crucifix high up the mountain that faces the city - called “Cruz de Navidad” - is lit-up and can be seen from “very far distances.”
The Red Siskin is native to Northern Venezuela and Northern Colombia. Venezuelans call it “cardenalito" (“Cardinal”). The bird is 10cm long, eats seeds and has a pleasant song. It is endangered because of a mix of environmental factors and illegal trapping. They are highly gregarious and sought-after cage birds. But there are those that think that domestication may be one of the reasons the bird has not gone extinct, with perhaps only 600-1000 pairs left in the wild. There have apparently been a lot of efforts to crossbreed them with Canaries because they are red where most finches are mostly yellow.
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| Slot: |
500 Bolivares 2007-2017 Issue P94 (formerly VENUNL500a) |
| Item: |
Venezuela, Banco Central
500 Bolívares 2016 - Printer: CMV |
| Grade: |
PMG 67 EPQ |
| Cert #: |
8046875-079
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Owner Comments
At the time this note was announced, in December 2016, it was worth only about US$0.10.
The front of this note features an image of a younger Francisco de Miranda. A portrait of an older Miranda was used on the 200 Bolivares Soberano note (VEN107).
Miranda led a romantic and adventurous life in the post-enlightenment period. He participated in the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolution, and the Spanish American wars of independence. He was an idealist that developed a plan to liberate and unify Spanish America, but his own military initiatives failed and ended in 1812 - he was handed over to his enemies and four years later, died in a Spanish prison. Although his own plans for the independence of the Spanish American colonies failed, he is regarded as a forerunner of Simón Bolívar, who won independence for the Spanish colonies in South America.
He was Venezuelan – born in Caracas. He was part of a wealthy family – leading to him being well educated – but his family was not part of high society.
He served with the Spanish in their efforts against the British in the American Revolution but ended up in exile in the United States for his role in the Capture of the Bahamas. He traveled through Europe (including Britain, Prussia, Sweden, and Russia) from 1785 to 1790). He took an active role in the French Revolution and served with the French army for a time, but he ended up getting arrested and imprisoned twice and eventually gave up on the French cause – going back to England.
He returned to Latin America in 1804 and started making trouble for the Spanish and helped establish the First Republic of Venezuela. When that fell to the Royalists he was arrested – by Bolivar – and handed over to the Royalists to secure a passport out of Venezuela for Bolivar. He was buried in a mass grave and an empty tomb has subsequently been made for him in the National Pantheon of Venezuela.
The back of the note shows “Orinoco River Dolphins” (Inia geoffrensis) with the Coro Dunes in background and a Gusano flower. The dolphins are more often called “Amazon River Dolphins” or “Pink River Dolphins” – because the adults are pink. Some authorities recognize the “Orinoco River Dolphin” as a separate and distinct subspecies or species from the Amazon River Dolphin and some do not. They’re the largest species of river dolphin and males can weight 185 kg (408 lbs). The species was on the Red list of endangered species as of 2018. Captive breeding is not considered a conservation option however because they exhibit intra-species aggression and they usually survive less than 3 years in captivity (not great for an animal that can live 30 years or more).
I am having trouble so far finding anything on the significance of the flower.
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| Slot: |
1,000 Bolivares 2007-2017 Issue (formerly VENUNL1000a) P95 |
| Item: |
|
| Grade: |
PMG 67 EPQ |
| Cert #: |
1740967-062
|
Owner Comments
At the time this note was announced, in December 2016, it was worth just under US$0.25.
The front of this note features a portrait of Pedro Camejo. He was a Venezuelan soldier that fought for the royal (Spanish) army before switching sides to fight for the rebels under Simon Bolivar. It probably should not be too surprising that he deserted the royal army since it was never his idea to be part of it – he had been a slave and was “put at the service of the king.” That seems like a very nice way of saying that the Don sent him to fight instead of enlisting himself.
He was the only black officer in the rebel army – having reached the rank of lieutenant. He was also known for his bravery and skill – He was always in the first line of attack in a battle. He used a spear and was what was known as a lancer. These things – one the other or both – are said to have earned him a nickname that, while probably meant in a mostly positive way at the time, would not be acceptable in a modern setting.
He died of injuries sustained in the Battle of Carabobo in 1821, which is the battle that effectively won the war for Gran Colombia’s independence (Gran Colombia being a collection of most of what eventually became Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Panama).
The back of the notes shows a Giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus) with the plains of Los Llanos in the background. The giant armadillo is the largest living species of armadillo. The have more teeth than any other terrestrial mammal – with around 80 to 100 – and their sickle-shaped front claws – which can be up to 22 cm long – are proportionately the largest claws of any living mammal – which is an interesting defensive feature for something that mostly eats termites.
The species inhabits most of South America from Venezuela down into Northern Argentina. But, while they are spread far and wide, they can be locally rare and are considered “vulnerable to extinction” with a population decline estimated at 30-50 percent in the last 30 years. Unlike many other threatened species, they are heavily hunted for meat and are a primary source of protein for some areas – which will no doubt complicate conservation efforts. They are protected by law in over half a dozen South American countries and trading in them is banned but there is still hunting for food and a black market for them. Giant armadillos have never been bred in captivity and tend to die during transport or while in captivity.
Los Llanos (“The Plains”) is a large tropical grassland plain located east of the Andes, between Colombia and Venezuela. The main river in the area – the Orinoco – marks the border between Colombia and Venezuela. During the rainy season (May to October), parts of Los Llanos can flood up to a meter. This turns the woodlands and grassland into a temporary wetland. This flooding made the area unfit for most agriculture until the development of some new modern techniques and gave it a unique mix of wildlife. The area supports around 70 species of water birds, including the scarlet ibis and the white-bearded flycatcher.
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| Slot: |
2,000 Bolivares 2007-2017 Issue (formerly VENUNL2000a) P96 |
| Item: |
|
| Grade: |
PMG 68 EPQ |
| Cert #: |
1740966-075
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Owner Comments
At the time this note was announced, in December 2016, it was worth just under US$0.50.
The front of this note shows Cacique Guaicaipuro – a 16th century native Venezuelan chief that resisted the conquest of the region by the Spanish until his death in 1568.
The Spanish discovered gold in the area controlled by this chieftain’s tribe and started mining for it. He attacked with a coalition of several tribes and forced the Spanish to leave – until the Spanish came back with fresh troops. The Spanish thought they had won and most of the troops left. He then attacked the mines again – ambushing and killing a Spanish conquistador. This rallied more tribes to support Guaicaipuro and the Spanish were forced out – for several years, this time.
In 1567, however, the city of Caracas was founded and the founder – Diego de Losada – wanted the thread of these tribes and this chieftain gone. So, in 1568, native guides led some Spanish soldiers to Guaicaipuro’s hut – which they burned down. When he came out swinging, so to speak, and they killed him.
Featuring this 16th century chieftain is a major departure from the rest of this set, which overwhelmingly features figures from the early 19th century and the struggle for independence from Spain.
In the early 2000s, Hugo Chavez started a new policy of “re-assessing and valuing the role of Venezuela’s indigenous peoples in a historical narrative which has traditionally given greater prominence to the Spanish conquistadores” – history, as they say, is written by the winners. There was a symbolic relocation of his remains (which were never really found) to the national pantheon in late 2001. “Dia de la Raza” (America’s Discovery Day) was rebranded as “Dia de la Resistencia” (Day of Indigenous Resistance). Chavez often mentioned Guaicaipuro and other chiefs “with the purpose of inspiring Venezuelan’s to resist what he called the policies of American Imperialists.” So. this note and other references to Guaicaipuro come off like part of an anti-United States Nationalist PR campaign.
The back of the note shows an American harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) with the Ucaima Falls at Canaima National Park in the background. The harpy eagle is one of the largest living species of eagle in the world and the largest raptor living in a rainforest. Females can weigh 6 to 9 kg normally and wingspans can be 176-224 cm.
The species is almost extinct in Mexico and Central America but is also found throughout Brazil and as far as Argentina.
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| Slot: |
5,000 Bolivares 2007-2017 Issue (formerly VENUNL5000a) P97 |
| Item: |
|
| Grade: |
PMG 67 EPQ |
| Cert #: |
1740971-059
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Owner Comments
At the time this note was announced, in December 2016, it was worth just under US$1.25.
The front of this note shows Luisa Cáceres de Arismendi – the wife of Juan Bautista Arismendi, a general in the rebel army. She was 13 years old and living with her family in Caracas when the 1812 earthquake flattened the city. She met her future husband on Christmas Eve in 1813. Her father was killed by royalist troops. Her brother then joined the rebels and was captured and executed only a few days after enlisting. After that, they moved to the Island of Margarita – where the Arismendi family offered security – but four of her aunts died making the trip. She married her husband on 4 December 1814 – she was 15 and he was 39.
On 24 September 1815 she was captured and imprisoned on the day before her 16th birthday to put pressure on her husband, who had been appointed governor of the island. She was pregnant at the time and initially placed under house arrest before being moved to a dungeon. After months of poor food and poor treatment she gave birth to a daughter in January 1816, who died shortly thereafter.
She was moved several times to prevent her from falling into rebel hands. The decision was eventually made to send her to Spain, but the ship was hit by pirates and stranded on an island for a time. Spanish authorities eventually recovered her and others in 1817. Later, in mid-1818, with help including that of an Englishman, she escaped on a Frigate and made it to Philadelphia in the United States.
Her husband sent a Colonel to bring her home and she arrived back in Margarita in July 1818. In September 1819, about a week before she turned 20, the Council of the Indies dictated that she would be granted liberty to choose her residence.
She had 11 total children before her death at the age of 66.
The back of the note shows Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) with Macanao Mountain in the background. Hawksbill sea turtle is the only surviving member of the Eretmochelys genus, and it is listed critically endangered by the World Conservation Union – primarily due to human fishing activity, even though they have a worldwide distribution. The capture of and trade in this species or products derived from it is banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITIES).
These turtles get their name from a sharp, curving beak with a prominent cutting edge – which is kind of interesting for something that eats mostly sea sponges, jellyfish, and sea anemones. They are well adapted for open ocean swimming but spend most of their lives in shallow lagoons and coral reefs. Adults are about 1 meter long and weigh about 80 kg (180 lbs) – about the same as an adult male human. It takes 20 years for one to reach maturity – also in line with humans.
Macanao Mountain is the highest peak in the Macanao peninsula on Margarita Island (gotta love that name). Christopher Colombus landed on the island in 1498. It was on this island that Simon Bolivar was confirmed as Commander-in-Chief of the Second Republic of Venezuela in 1816. The primary industry on the island, until recently, was tourism – which has declined 90% from 2010 to 2020 as the troubles in Venezuela have dragged on and deepened.
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| Slot: |
10,000 Bolivares 2007-2017 Issue (formerly VENUNL10000a) P98 |
| Item: |
Venezuela, Banco Central
10,000 Bolívares 2016 - Printer: CMV |
| Grade: |
PMG 66 EPQ |
| Cert #: |
1741802-106
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Owner Comments
At the time this note was announced, in December 2016, it was worth just under US$2.50.
The front of this note shows a portrait of Simón Rodríguez. In 1791 – when he was about 22 – he was given a position as a teacher by the Caracas Council. Three years later he published his writing “Reflection on the flaws vitiating the Reading and Writing School for Children in Caracas and Means of Achieving its Reform and a New Establishment” to the council. He also, in 1797, played a role in the Gual and Espana Conspiracy - a pro-independence movement in Colonial Venezuela, inspired by the French Revolution and led by José María España and Manuel Gual - and was forced in to exile for it.
He went to Kingston Jamaica and started using the name “Samuel Robinson.” He went on to the United States and then on to France in 1801, reconnecting there with Simon Bolivar – a former student - in 1804. They traveled across Europe together for a time and witnessed the coronation of Napolean in Milan.
From 1806 to 1823, while Miranda and Bolivar were fighting to overthrow Spain in Latin America, he lived in various places in Europe, worked in industrial chemistry, studied literature, learned languages and directed a school in Russia.
He returned to Latin America in 1823 and set up a workshop-school in 1824 in Colombia. He then went to serve as “Director of Public Education, Physical and Mathematical Sciences and Arts” and “Director of Mines, Agriculture and Public Roads” in Bolivia for Simon Bolivar. From 1826 on he lived the rest of his life as an educator and writer, living in various places in Latin America.
The back of this note shows a Spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatos) with Laguna Santo Cristo at Sierra Nevada National Park in the background. Spectacled bears are the only surviving species of bear native to South America, and the only surviving member of the subfamily Tremarctinae. The species is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN because of habitat loss. It is the largest land carnivore in the Andes Mountains – with males weighing about 100-200 kg - but meat is only about 5% of what it eats. Males average 115 kg with females averaging only 65 kg.
They tend to be solitary and isolated creatures. They are tree climbers, make their homes / beds in trees, and will often flee up a tree when confronted with humans. They usually do not attack unless threatened or cubs are threatened and there’s only been one report a human being killed by one – after the bear had already been shot by the people it attacked.
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| Slot: |
20,000 Bolivares 2007-2017 Issue (formerly VENUNL20000a) P99 |
| Item: |
|
| Grade: |
PMG 66 EPQ |
| Cert #: |
2506671-019
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Owner Comments
At the time this note was announced, in December 2016, it was worth just under US$5.00.
The front of this note shows Simón Bolívar (Full name Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte-Andrade y Blanco). He is known as “El Libertado” (The Liberator) was the general and politician that led a rebellion in and won independence for what would eventually become Venezuela, Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru and Panama. At the time he helped make and lead a united state called “Gran Colombia.” Bolivar is considered a national icon, not just in Venezuela but in most of the countries that gained independence from Spain through his efforts. He is the reason that the Venezuelan currency was called “the Bolivar.” The nation of Bolivia is named for him.
He wanted a strong Latin American union that could defend itself against Spain, other European powers, and the emerging power of the United States. He did not get what he wanted. Gran Colombia fought a series of civil wars and uprisings over 9 years and ultimately proved unable to remain a unified state. It dissolved in 1830 and became Venezuela, Ecuador and New Granada. He delivered his final address on 20 January 1830 and resigned as present in April of that year. He planned to live in exile in Europe, but he never caught up to the belongings he had sent ahead of him. He died in De 1830 of tuberculosis at the age of 47.
He said, “all who served the revolution have plowed the sea,” and “America is ungovernable.” In addressing the Colombian Congress, he said, “Fellow Citizens! I blush to say this: Independence is the only benefit we have acquired, to the detriment of all the rest.” He asked on his deathbed that his writings be burned but his wishes were ignored.
What has been done with his remains in the ~190 years since his passing raises the question of whether the Venezuelan government has ever understood the meaning of the phrase, “may he rest in peace.” See my comments on VEN111 if you want to know what I mean by this.
In Jan 2008, as the Bolivar Fuerte was being released – likely as a stunt to distract from the state the country was in – Hugo Chavez set up a commission to investigate the possibility that he was poisoned. They exhumed and tested his remains in July 2011 to test for arsenic or other poisons but found evidence of nothing. Why would someone try to kill him, leading Chavez to make claims of traitors poisoning him?
He earned a lot of enemies in part by trying to establish a strong central government for Gran Colombia with a lifetime president. A large portion of his final address to the nation in 1830 was spent on asking people not to listen to those that “have conspired to tear your hearts from me, attributing to me their own motives, making me seem to be the instigator of projects they themselves have conceived, representing me, finally, as aspiring to a crown which they themselves have offered on more than one occasion and which I have rejected with the indignation of the fiercest republican.” So Bolivar tried and failed to do what George Washington probably could have easily done but refused to in the United States about 30 years prior His decision to peacefully step down and prepare to go into self-imposed exile helped protect his legacy and history has been kinder to him than a lot of the strong men and dictators that came later.
The back of this note shows a Red siskin (Carduelis cucullata) with Cerro El Ávila in the background. Cerro El Ávila is a peak in the Cordillera de la Costa Central mountain range in El Ávila National Park. The park is known as "el pulmón de la ciudad" (the lungs of the city). The peak is home to the longest cable car ride in the world and supports recreational activities like running, biking, rock climbing, camping, and zip-lining. There are several hotels and restaurants situated in the surrounding hills and ever December a large crucifix high up the mountain that faces the city - called “Cruz de Navidad” - is lit-up and can be seen from “very far distances.”
The Red Siskin is native to Northern Venezuela and Northern Colombia. Venezuelans call it “cardenalito" (“Cardinal”). The bird is 10cm long, eats seeds and has a pleasant song. It is endangered because of a mix of environmental factors and illegal trapping. They are highly gregarious and sought-after cage birds. But there are those that think that domestication may be one of the reasons the bird has not gone extinct, with perhaps only 600-1000 pairs left in the wild. There have apparently been a lot of efforts to crossbreed them with Canaries because they are red where most finches are mostly yellow.
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100,000 Bolivares 2007-2017 Issue P100 |
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Venezuela, Banco Central
100,000 Bolívares 2017 - Printer: CMV |
| Grade: |
PMG 66 EPQ |
| Cert #: |
8076118-022
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Owner Comments
The Bolivares Fuertes notes were mostly issued in two 6-note series that can basically be thought of as a "Series 1" and "Series 2". The "Series 2" notes use the same designs, but with different color schemes and face values. The government had intended that the "Series 1" notes - which were basically worthless by the time "Series 2" came out - would be pulled from circulation. So, these two groups of notes weren't meant to circulate together and so there was less perceived risk with people getting the notes confused with each other. As a result, VEN93 and VEN99 look essentially the same.
Then the government released VEN100 in Nov 2017, using essentially the same design as VEN93 and VEN99, and threw that idea right out the window. The VEN100 looks REALLY similar to VEN93 because they both say “100” and they didn’t add the extra zeros for the “100 000.”
However, at the time it was announced, it was only worth less than US$2.50 – which is about what the VEN98, 10 000 Bolivar note, had been worth at the time it was announced, just 11 months prior. At the same time, Venezuelans were only allowed to withdraw about 10,000 to 20,000 Bolivares a day and Maduro raised the monthly minimum wage to 177,507 Bolivares.
The annual inflation rate in Venezuela in 2017 was 1087.5% - I guess call it 1100% in round terms.
President Meduro - having replaced Chavez after his death in 2013 as his designated successor - announced that the country would be going paperless and doing away with physical currency at some point in the future in his national broadcast. While I am sure that would make digital money creation easier and cheaper, so, far, as of 2021, about 4 years later, they were still printing new notes and have not gone paperless. But it is not clear from articles contemporary with the announcement is the put a time horizon on that paperless economy goal.
The thing that confuses me at least a little, looking at this, knowing this, is why the VEN100 was released alone and there was not a new 6 note series or at least a 3-note release like what happened with VEN109 to VEN111 in 2019. It is possible that they felt constrained by other things like the withdraw limits mentioned previously and thought those limits would severely impair the useability / accessibility of a 500,000 or 1 Million Bolivar note. However, I think the most likely explanation is, behind the scenes, they had already made the decision that The Bolivares Soberanos were coming with VEN101 to VEN108. That would also explain the decision to just re-use the same design as VEN93/99 – this note was always going to be just a very short-term, gap-filler release and they never intended for it to be in use long.
And so, the Bolivares Fuertes ended with this one-off whimper.
On January 26, 2018 the government admitted the truth, retired the 10:1 exchange rate with the US dollar and devalued the currency by 99.6%, making it 25,000 BsF to 1 USD – making it officially the 2nd least valuable circulating currency, ahead of the Iranian rial. But, according to informal, black-market rates, it was the lowest.
The government announced the coming of the Bolivar Soberano (“Sovereign Bolivar”) on 22 Mar 2018. The switch over was supposed to happen on 4 Jun 2018 at an exchange rate of 1000:1, but the change was delayed to 1 Aug 2018 with a new exchange rate of 100,000:1, because, yes, in hyperinflation, things get that much worse that quickly. The official exchange rate hit 248,832 VEF to 1 USD on 10 August 2018 and 4,010,000 VEF/USD on 13 Aug 2018. A banking holiday was declared on Monday, 20 August 2018, the day the Soberanos entered circulation, to “give the banks time to adjust for the new currency.”
Four months after their, shops and state banks started refusing to accept the 2 Bs.S note on the basis that it was essentially worthless. By November 2019, except for the Bs.S. 500, all notes issued in 2018 were effectively worthless and most people preferred to receive a small candy or a small pack of sugar instead of taking any of the banknotes issued in 2018. Packets of sugar, which shops in the US generally give away for free with coffee or similar purchases, was more desirable than the highest denomination note in the first Bs.S series.
The annual inflation rate for 2018, the debut year of the Bolivares Soberano, was a staggering 1,370,000.00% - more than 1000 times higher than the annual rate in 2017.
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2 Bolivares 2018 Issue P101 |
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Venezuela, Banco Central
2 Bolívares 2018 - Printer: CMV |
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PMG 67 EPQ |
| Cert #: |
8077102-067
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Owner Comments
The front of the note shows a portrait of Josefa Camejo. She was born in 1791 to a wealthy family and attended school in Coro before going to study in Caracas. There she became involved in the independence movement.
In 1811, at 20 years of age, she moved to live in Barinas with her mother and her uncle, Monsignor Mariano de Talavera y Garcés, who was secretary of the Patriotic Society of Mérida and who had great influence on the education of his niece. There, before the offensive of the Royalists, and encouraged by her uncle, Camejo gathered a large group of women who wanted to participate in the armed struggle, and asked the governor of the Province, Pedro Briceño del Pumar, to have them for the fight, assuring him that: “The female sex, Mr. Governor, does not fear the horrors of war, but rather, the outbreak of the cannon will only encourage, its fire will ignite the desire for freedom, which it will sustain at all costs in gift of the homeland.”
In 1813, she married Juan Nepomuceno Briceño Méndez, who had to flee to Bogotá because of a Royalist advance. Her first son, Wenceslao, was born there. She was in charge of vacating Barinas, successfully driving the entire caravan to its destination, but her mother drowned on the voyage. She remained in Bogotá until the battle of Boyacá in 1819. That victory allowed her to return and reunite with her husband. In 1820, her uncle Mariano ordered her to stop the Paraguaná Insurrection. In 1821 she provoked the so-called Revolution of Paraguaná which, although having been defeated at the first stage, finally led to the independence declaration of Coro. It was also an encouraging sign for the following Battle of Carabobo, which represented the last core battle on the way to Venezuelan independence in 1821.
She lived until July 1862 and died at the age of 71. I am having a hard time finding out anything about the 41 years of her life after 1821 - most of her life. Her remains are in National Pantheon of Venezuela, honored as one of the great heroines of the war for independence.
The back of the note features a yellow-crowned amazon or yellow-crowned parrot (Amazona ochrocephala) - a species of parrot native to tropical South America, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago. Their range covers most of the Norther half of South America. They have a total length of 33–38 cm and mostly green plumage with yellow and red bits and blue feather tips. They are normally found in pairs or small flocks up to 30, but larger groups may gather at clay licks. Their food includes fruits, nuts, seeds and berries. Foods with sugar and a large amount of salt can be dangerous for them. They nest in hollows in trees, palms or termitariums, where they lay two to three eggs. The incubation time is about 26 days and the chicks leave the nest about 60 days from hatching.
The Morrocoy National Park is also on the back of the note, in the background of the artwork. The park is a coastal park on the Western side of the Northern Coast of the country - you have to travel about 200 km from Caracas to get to it. The park extends contains an area of mangroves and numerous islets / cays. it is believed to be home to about 266 bird species and several other endangered species - including the turtles featured on other recent Venezuelan notes.
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5 Bolivares 2018 Issue P102 |
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Venezuela, Banco Central
5 Bolívares 2018 - Printer: CMV |
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PMG 68 EPQ |
| Cert #: |
8083349-039
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Owner Comments
The front of this not features Jose Felix Ribas. He came from a wealthy family - the last of 11 sons - and at the age of 21 married the aunt of Simon Bolivar. He became revolutionary and pro-independence, joining the Conspiracy of 1808 and landing in prison for it when it failed. He lied in his defense and claimed he was just going to the square to spend time when he went to join others working on planning an uprising.
Despite having no military background, Ribas was named Colonel of the Barlovento Battalion - which he helped set up with his own money. He also maintained some contact with Francisco de Miranda and offered him all possible support when Miranda arrived in the country. Along with other fellow Republicans, he became a member of the Sociedad Patriótica organized by Francisco de Miranda, in contradistinction to the New Venezuelan Congress which was ruled mostly by the landed few. The Sociedad Patriótica was modeled after a French Jacobin Club, encouraging the practice of oratory on equality of rights to all citizens.
He led the battle of La Victoria (12 February 1814) in which he and his comrades succeeded in foiling the advance royalist forces. Ribas won by holding out with inexperienced troops - composed mainly of youths, students, and seminary candidates that Ribas had succeeded in recruiting - until Republican reinforcements arrived under Vincente Campo Elias. Ribas told his young soldiers, "We have no choice between victory or death, we must achieve victory" ("No podemos optar entre vencer o morir, es necesario vencer"). It is in honor of this episode of Venezuelan history that modern Venezuelan citizens now celebrate the "Día de la Juventud" ("Day of Youth"), each 12 February.
The back of this note features an Atelopus cruciger with the Henri Pittier National Park in the background.
Atelopus cruciger is also known as the “Veragua Stubfoot Toad” or “Rancho Grande Harlequin Frog” and locally known as sapito rayado (“Scratched Toad”). It is native to Venezuela and was thought to have been extinct - in spite of a major conservation effort - because none had been found since 1986 - the year I was born. However, a small population was found in 2003 - and they live in Henri Pittier National Park, the park in the background of this image. It is mainly threatened by chytridiomycosis - an infectious disease in amphibians, caused by the chytrid fungi. This sets them apart from most of the other species on these modern Venezuelan notes in that they aren’t primarily threatened by human action - though some seem to believe that acid rain and air pollution could also be playing a role in their decline.
In fairness, adult males are only 28-35 mm and adult females are only 40-50 mm… so it seems like they’d be easy to miss. They mostly eat small insects.
Henri Pittier National Park is the oldest national park in Venezuela, originally created in 1937 under the name of Rancho Grande by decree of President Eleazar López Contreras. In 1953 the park was renamed in honor of Henri Pittier, a distinguished Swiss geographer, botanist and ethnologist, who arrived in Venezuela in 1917, classified more than 30,000 plants in the country and devoted many years to studying the flora and fauna in the park. It is, as with so many other national parks featured on these notes, on the North-Central coastline and not terribly far from Caracas. It was originally a 90,000-hectare park, but in 1974 the government appended another 17,800 hectares, resulting in a current area of 107,800 hectares. It consists of two geographic systems: a steep mountainous interior where there are more than 500 bird species and 22 endemic species and a coastal area with bays, beaches and resorts with huge tourism potential. It is an Important Bird Area. and is an Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) site. With its nine major rivers, the park is also an important source of water for surrounding cities and towns and contains land where some of the best cacao in the world is cultivated.
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10 Bolivares 2018 Issue P103 |
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Venezuela, Banco Central
10 Bolívares 2018 - Printer: CMV |
| Grade: |
PMG 67 EPQ |
| Cert #: |
8083261-008
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Owner Comments
The front of this note has an image of Rafael Urdaneta. Prior to the independence war, he was a student of Latin and philosophy. He traveled to Sante Fe at the encouragement of his uncle in 1804. When a junta formed in Santa Fe in 1810 he joined and became a lieutenant in the first battalion of the “patriot army of New Granado. He was captured after the battle of Santa Fe in 1813 and spent several months in prison after that. He then became part of Bolivar’s “Admirable Campaign” and Bolivar later described him as “worthy of recommendation and deserving of all esteem from the government for the valor and intelligence with which he distinguished himself in action.”
After that he lead many military actions for the patriots but did not fight in the battle of Carabobo - which he helped set the stage for - because Bolivar judged that his troops were too exhausted to fight. Bolivar requested that he be promoted to “General Officer” and, after the battle and with Venezuela independent, he became one of Bolivar’s closest friends.
He married Dolores Vargas París, a young and renowned heroine of the city of Santa Fe, on August 31, 1822. Before Gran Colombia was dissolved in 1831, the marriage and the couple were popular. However, following the dissolution and the establishment of a dictatorship in the Republic of New Granada, they were forced to flee the country. They fled to Venezuela and suffered persecution from General Páez, who had become one of Simon Bolívar's ideological adversaries after the end of the Venezuelan War of Independence. Urdaneta and Dolores had been supporters of Bolívar's, so they were forced to flee again, this time to Curaçao.
They were able to return to Caracas in 1832 through a license granted by the government of Venezuela -but it stipulated that Urdaneta was not to intervene in the politics of the country. The family moved to Santa Ana de Coro, where a revolt erupted against the government. Urdaneta was able to use this to get back into Venezuelan politics and he was eventually able to retain a position as a senator until 1845.
In 1845, he was appointed Envoy of Venezuela to Spain, but he died in Paris, France, on August 23rd, 1845 from complications from kidney stones before he ever reached Spain.
Urdaneta is buried in the National Pantheon of Venezuela since May 16, 1876. In 2015, the 24th of October was decreed as a national holiday in Venezuela to commemorate him. I’d be tempted to say some of this (him being on this note and the national holiday) was the result of his association with Bolivar and Chavez’s obsession with Bolivar, but Chavez died in 2013, the holiday was declared in 2015 and this note did not release until 2018.
The back of this note shows a giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) - also known as the ant bear - with the Catatumbo lightning in the background.
The giant anteater is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and has been eliminated from many parts of its former range. Threats to its survival include habitat destruction, fire, and poaching for fur and bushmeat. With its distinctive appearance and habits, the anteater has been featured in pre-Columbian myths and folktales, as well as modern popular culture.
The Catatumbo lightning is an atmospheric phenomenon that occurs over the mouth of the Catatumbo River where it empties into Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela. It comes from a mass of storm clouds at an altitude of more than 1 km, and occurs about 140 to 160 nights a year, for nine hours a day, and with lightning striking 16 to 40 times per minute.
Italian geographer Agustin Codazzi described it in 1841 as "like a continuous lightning, and its position such that, located almost on the meridian of the mouth of the lake, it directs the navigators as a lighthouse" and the phenomenon has been known for centuries now as the "Lighthouse of Maracaibo", since it is visible for miles around the lake, It did not occur from January to March 2010, apparently due to drought. It has been known to vary in frequency through the year and from year to year, but this “dry spell” lead to speculation and concern that it might have been extinguished permanently. This is an interesting choice in that it features a weather phenomenon - though admittedly one tied to a very specific location - and not a national park.
The storms are thought to be the result of winds blowing across Lake Maracaibo and the surrounding swampy plains. The heat and moisture collected across the plains create electrical charges and, as the air masses are destabilized by the mountain ridges, result in thunderstorm activity and nearly continuous lightning - mostly in the clouds.
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