Nicaragua: Sandino and the Sandinistas

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Augusto Sandino.

From Wikipedia:

Augusto Nicolás Calderón Sandino (-1895-1934) was a Nicaraguan revolutionary and leader of a rebellion against the U.S. military occupation of Nicaragua between 1927 and 1933. He was labeled a bandit by the United States government, and his exploits made him a hero throughout much of Latin America, where he became a symbol of resistance to United States domination. Drawing units of the United States Marine Corps into an undeclared guerrilla war, his guerrilla organization suffered many defeats, but he successfully evaded capture.

United States troops withdrew from the country after overseeing the inauguration of President Juan Bautista Sacasa. Sandino was assassinated in 1934 by Gen. Anastasio Somoza García, who went on to seize power in a coup d'état two years later, establishing a family dynasty that would rule Nicaragua for over 40 years. Sandino's legacy was claimed by the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), which overthrew the Somoza government in 1979.

Sandino is currently revered in Nicaragua, and was unanimously named a "national hero" in 2010 by the nation's congress. Sandino's bloodline, along with his hat, boots, and writings from when he was evading U.S. Marines, continue to help shape the national identity.

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Who remembers the 1980s, the Sandinistas, and the Contras?

From Wikipedia:

Daniel Ortega (born 1945) is a Nicaraguan politician. He is the current President of Nicaragua (since 2007), a position he has held previously between 1985 and 1990. A leader in the socialist Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), his policies in government have seen the implementation of leftist reforms across Nicaragua.

Born into a working class family, from an early age Ortega developed a hatred of the ruling President Anastasio Somoza Debayle, who was widely seen as a dictator, and became involved in the underground movement to oppose Somoza's regime. Joining the Sandinistas, he also travelled to Cuba to receive training in guerilla warfare from Fidel Castro's Marxist-Leninist government. After the Nicaraguan Revolution resulted in the overthrow and exile of the Somoza's government in 1979, Ortega became a member of the ruling multipartisan Junta of National Reconstruction and was later elected president, serving from 1985 to 1990. At the time a Marxist-Leninist, his first period in office was characterized by a controversial program of land reform, wealth redistribution and literacy programs. Such leftist reforms damaged U.S. economic interests in the country, gaining hostility from the U.S.'s governing Reagan administration, who funded a right wing militia, the Contras, to overthrow Ortega's government.

Ortega was defeated by Violeta Barrios de Chamorro in the 1990 presidential election, but he remained an important figure in Nicaraguan opposition politics, gradually moderating in his political position from Marxism-Leninism to democratic socialism. He was an unsuccessful candidate for president in 1996 and 2001, before winning the 2006 presidential election. In power, he has made alliances with fellow Latin American socialists, namely Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, and signed Nicaragua up to the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas.

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NEW COIN SERIES OF 1980 TO 1985

In 1980 Nicaragua issued the first coins of a new design series. The obverse of each coin featured a portrait of national hero Augusto Sandino. In 1980 50 centavos, 1 córdoba and 5 cordóbas coins were issued. 5, 10 and 25 centavos coins were added in 1981. A new 50 centavos type was issued in 1983 and new 1 córdoba and 5 cordóbas types in 1984.

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Nicaragua, 50 centavos, 1980.

The 50 centavos coin was issued in 1980.

It was the lowest denomination of the series.


The coin was made of copper-nickel.

It weighed 7 grams and was 26 mm in diameter.


The obverse featured a portrait of Augusto Sandino.

He looks like an indigenous Indian in this portrait.

The coin was a product of the Mexican Mint.


The legend shows his surname, the country name and the year.

This coin type was issued in 1980 only.

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Nicaragua, 50 centavos, 1980.

The reverse of the 50 centavos coin of 1980.

The legend EN DIOS CONFIAMOS translates as IN GOD WE TRUST.

PATRIA LIBRE O MORIR translates as FREE FATHERLAND OR DIE.

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Nicaragua, 1 córdoba, 1980.

The 1 córdoba coin was issued in 1980.

It was a product of the Mexican Mint.


Here you see the reverse of the coin.

The obverse carried the same portrait as the 50 centavos coin.


The 1 córdoba coin was made of copper-nickel.

It weighed 9 grams and was 29 mm in diameter.

This coin type was issued in 1980 and 1983.

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Nicaragua, 5 córdobas, 1980.

This 5 córdobas coin was issued in 1980 only.

The heptagonal coin was made of copper-nickel.

It was a product of the Royal Mint (UK).

It weighed 7 grams and was 27 mm in diameter.


Here you see the obverse of the coin.

It showed the country name and the denomination.

It also showed the motto EN DIOS CONFIAMOS.

Curiously, the obverse did not show Sandino's portrait.

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Nicaragua, 5 córdobas, 1980.

Here you see the reverse of the coin.

It showed the year and Sandino's portrait.

Sandino's portrait had appeared on the obverse on the other coins.


Royal Mint artist Robert Elderton modelled the portrait.

Sandino looks more European in this portrait.

He is also wearing a bow tie


Here the coin alignment is different.

The alignment is ↑↑, whereas on the other coins it is ↑↓.

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Nicaragua, 5 centavos, 1981.

Nicaragua issued three new denominations of the series in 1981.

They were the 5, 10 and 25 centavos coins.


Here you see the obverse of the 5 centavos coin.

It featured a different portrait of Sandino.


The coin was made of aluminium.

It was a product of the Sherritt Mint, Fort Saskatchewan, Canada .

It weighed 1.04 grams and was 16.8 mm in diameter.

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Nicaragua, 5 centavos, 1981.

The reverse of the coin.

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Nicaragua, 10 centavos, 1981.

Here you see the obverse of the 10 centavos coin.

It featured the same portrait as the 5 centavos coin.


The coin was made of aluminium.

It was a product of the Sherritt Mint, Fort Saskatchewan, Canada .

It weighed 1.3 grams and was 19.5 mm in diameter.

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Nicaragua, 10 centavos, 1981.

The reverse of the coin.

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Nicaragua, 25 centavos, 1981.

The 25 centavos coin was made of nickel-plated steel.

It was a product of the Sherritt Mint, Fort Saskatchewan, Canada .

It weighed 3.45 grams and was 23 mm in diameter.


Here you see the obverse of the coin.

This portrait is different from all the others.

The legend is also positioned higher up the coin.

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Nicaragua, 25 centavos, 1981.

The reverse of the coin.

A mint mark appears above the word LIBRE.

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Nicaragua, 50 centavos, 1983.

In 1983 a new 50 centavos type was issued.

It was now made of nickel-clad steel.

Previously it had been made of copper-nickel.


It was a product of the Sherritt Mint, Fort Saskatchewan, Canada.

The former type had been struck by the Mexican Mint.


The new type had the same design style as the 25 centavos of 1981.

The portrait and positioning of the obverse legend were the same.

And the reverse also carried the same mint mark.