Coin Pièce Colombia 5 peso Copper-Nickel 1968 Bogota

This 5 Pesos coin was issued by Colombia in 1968 on the occasion of the 39th International Eucharistic Congress held in Bogota. This major Catholic religious event, organized every few years in different cities around the world, brings together faithful and representatives of the Catholic Church from across the globe to celebrate the Eucharist. The 1968 edition in Bogota was a particularly significant event for Latin America, a region with a strong Catholic tradition.

The coin is struck in copper-nickel, an alloy commonly used for commemorative coins of that era, offering good wear resistance and a characteristic silvery hue. It features a diameter of 35.5 mm, making it a generously sized coin, and a weight of 15.1 grams, lending the piece a certain density and solidity.

These relatively large dimensions compared to standard circulation coins allowed the iconographic and epigraphic elements related to the commemorated event to be showcased. Coins struck on the occasion of International Eucharistic Congresses are first-rate numismatic testimonies to the religious and cultural history of the host countries, reflecting the importance attached to these gatherings within Catholic societies of the time.

The issuance of this coin was carried out under the authority of Bogota, the Colombian capital, which then housed the Mint, the institution responsible for striking Colombian coins. This commemorative coin is part of a numismatic tradition in which sovereign states honour major religious, cultural or political events by striking specific coins, distinct from the standard circulation series.