Venezuela â 500 Bolivares â â Commemorative Coin
Overview: Shape: round. Edge: continuous ribbed.Obverse: Round edging, dentate. At the centre, on field, effigy of General JosĂ© Antonio PĂĄez with the word 'BARRE' (from etcher DĂ©sirĂ©-Albert Barre) on the base. Along edge, caption: JOSĂ ANTONIO PĂEZon its upper part. Exergue: .Reverse: Round edging, dentate. At the centre, on fiel, National Coat of Arms with captions: "19 DE ABRIL DE DE FEBRERO DE ", "INDEPENDENCIA", "FEDERACION" and "REPUBLICA DE VENEZUELA". Along edge, caption: "BANCO CENTRAL DE VENEZUELA", metal purity "LEI 900", weight " GRS", face value "500 BOLIVARES" and year.Commemorative pattern: Bicentenary of the Birthday of General JosĂ© Antonio PĂĄez.Material:900 grade (90 % silver, 10 % copper).Weight: 31.1 g.Diameter: 35 mm.Thickness: 3.63 mm.Mintage country: Mint of Mexico.Quantity: silver pieces.History of JosĂ© Antonio PĂĄez:Military and Venezuelan politician, President of the Republic () and one of the most prominent leaders of the emancipation of Latin America. He was born in Curpa, near Acarigua (state of Portuguesa) on the 13th of June, .His studies were very elementary. When he was 17 years old, he was attacked by bandits and killed one of them. He worked as a laborer on a farm, as he was hiding from justice. There, he was formed in the rigid discipline of "llanerĂa". In , he started to organize the "llaneros" in favor of the independence. His courage and determined patriotism soon made him the highest representative of the Llaneros, who called him Taita ("father").The true heroic feats of PĂĄez began with the action of Mata de la Miel (16 February, ), when he defeated, with only 500 men, soldiers of Colonel Francisco Lopez. PĂĄez was promoted to lieutenant colonel. In El Yagualâeight months laterâhe again annihilated the forces of Lopez, who this time had men. The battle of Mucuritas (28 January, ) was portentous: Paez, which had Llaneros, defeated General La Torre, who led an army of soldiers. But perhaps the most surprising triumph of PĂĄez occurred in the battle of Las Queseras del Medio (2 April, ), when 150 of his men defeated the royalist Pablo Morillo, who had soldiers.In the battle of Carabobo (24 June, ), where he also played a very outstanding role, PĂĄez was promoted to general in chief. After Carabobo, he became the absolute head of the department of Venezuela, a member of the Republic of Gran Colombia. In , the Senate dismissed him, so he was forced to hand over office on the 29th of April. But when the movement called "La Cosiata" broke out on the following day, PĂĄez resumed his power. Simon Bolivar (the "Liberator"), travelled from Peru and decreed a total amnesty confirming PĂĄez in his position, in Puerto Cabello (1 January, ).In , Venezuela enacted its own Constitution and Paez became president of the Republic (). He was again elected for the period . He promoted education, agriculture, handicrafts and immigration, created the National Bank () and moved the remains of the "Liberator" from Santa Marta to Caracas ().In , he rose in arms against JosĂ© Tadeo Monagas and was defeated. He invaded the country the following year, but was again defeated, detained and later exiled. He was honoured in several cities in the United States, Mexico, and even in Europe (Paris, France and Munich, Germany).In September he returned to Venezuela and established a dictatorial regime. As federalists won, PĂĄez signed the Treated of Coche in , and went back to New York (United States). He was very active and travelled through several South American countries. He died in New York on the 6th of May, . His remains rest in the National Pantheon in Caracas. Read More