Strength and Sovereignty
VEN94, 2016-2017, 500 VEF

Slot Comment:

Bolivares Fuertes (Strong Bolivar)

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Note Details

  

Set Details
Note Description: 500 Bolívares 2016 - Printer: CMV
Grade: 67 EPQ
Country: Venezuela
Note Number: VEN94a
Signatures/
Vignettes: 		- Wmk: F. de Miranda & 500
Certification #: 8046875-079
Owner: Revenant
Set Category: World
Set Name: Strength and Sovereignty
Slot Name: VEN94, 2016-2017, 500 VEF
Research: Currently not available

Owner's Description

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 this 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 are 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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