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Obverse Design
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The legend "THE DARIEN GOLD MINING COMPANY" curves around from the lower left,
along the top and over to the lower right. Curving along the bottom is the
legend ". LIMITED ." with the dots acting
as dividers.
In the center is a full-length miner facing left, with his right foot on a
shovel. Behind the miner is a landscape of hills and vegetation.
The token has a smooth raised rim.
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Reverse Design
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The center of the token has a large "50c". The legend ".
PARA SIMPLIFICAR LAS CUENTAS" curves all the way around the token from the lower left
up and around to the lower right. The dot divider is at the middle bottom.
Translated to English this Spanish legend means "TO SIMPLIFY THE ACCOUNTS".
Under the denomination and curving upward at either end in a downward arc is the
legend "NADA MAS", which means "NOTHING MORE".
A string of small beads follows the edge all the way around.
The token has a smooth raised rim.
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Metal
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Zinc.
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Size and Shape
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Octagon, 31.5 mm across.
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Dates Issued
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Unknown, sometime between the 1894 series and the 1903 series.
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Issurer
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The Darien Gold Mining Company, Limited.
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Mintage
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Unknown.
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Rarity
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Scarce.
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Manufacturer
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Struck by George Yorke Iliffe, the tokenmaker of Birmingham, England (in business
1875-1934).
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Source
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Henkle's Darien #9, Mizrachi's F-280,
Rulau's Dar 6, Plumer page #9.
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Varieties
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Known with and without the counterstamp "3" (per Rulau).
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Function
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Mining token.
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Population Count
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Known specimens are as follows:
- Mizrachi specimen, cited in his catalog.
- Plumer specimen, cited in his catalog.
- Henkle reports one sale in March 1983 for $52.50 in Fine condition
as #1BOS.
- Henkle reports one sale in December 1980 for $65 in Fine condition
as #2BOS.
- SINJournal Specimen, photo on page #23 of the January 1969 issue
(per Henkle).
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Notes
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The Darien Gold Mining Company, Limited was a British company. Its shares were
registered on the London Stock Exchange in 1887. It went into voluntary liquidation
on September 7, 1906. The company had mines at Cana and La Marca in the Darien area
of Panama. The main operation was at Cana. A second company of the same name
operated from 1907 to 1913, but did not issue any tokens.
The Darien Gold Mining Company had three series of tokens made, all in England.
The first series is dated 1894, the second series is undated, and the third series
was struck in the 1903-1905 period. Only the last series has the
tokenmaker's mark "G.Y. ILIFFE BIRM.".
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