Panama Balboa Silver Coins!

A collector walks through his run of Panamanian Balboa silver — the .900 fine 1/10, 1/4 and 1/2 Balboa — and explains why this series is one of the more approachable ways into world silver. Panama struck these on the same blanks as United States dimes, quarters and half dollars, so a 1/10 Balboa is a silver dime in all but name.

It is a useful watch before you buy your first one, because it shows the coins in hand rather than in a slab photo: the toning these pieces pick up, how the Vasco Núñez de Balboa portrait wears, and how much detail survives on a genuinely circulated example.

Read next: Collecting the Panama Balboa — the full guide to the series, its dates, and what to watch for when buying.

In stock: Vintage Panama Silver Coin Lot — 10 coins, 1930–1961, covering eight 1/10 Balboas including the 1953 Cincuentenario, plus two 1/4 Balboas.