Venezuela bound 1835 Large Cents

By now most large cent collectors have herd something like half the 18 varieties of 1835 cent Newcomb die numbers are difficult to find. The chief suspect was Venezula. In R.W. Julian's story titled "Venezuela first to circulate U.S. coins", posted to numismaticnews.net on August 23, 2011; "In early 1835, through its New York consul, the Government of Venezuela asked Mint Director Samuel Moore if 100,000 U.S. copper cents could be obtained for shipment to that country. In mid-August 1835 another request... for 1 million each of the cent and half cent."

Most of these sent large cents are believed to have succumbed to wear, melting or over strikes long ago. Interesting to note though is that in the period roughly between 1830-1860 unusual to us but not them, was the Cachito style of coinage. This was where traders would latterly chop a coin into four quarter sections, making instant smaller denominations.

In Venezuela's new revolutionary freedom from Spain which also encompassed Columbia, Peru, Panama, Bolivar, Granada and Ecuador (hope I covered them all). They looked to the U.S. Mint for help. In 1830 they withdrew from the gran Columbia to be known as the United States of Venezuela or simply Venezuela. According to Wikipedia under the currency of Venezuela "Then on March 25, 1835 Congress (their Congress) authorized circulation of a hitherto unfamiliar coinage, copper centavos (cents) of the United States.

The main picture I wish to show is posted at the bottom of this story. A similar coin is on the cover of Tomas Stohr's 1975 book Titled "VENEZUELA" CATALOG OF COINS, PATTERNS, TOKENS AND COUNTER STAMPS. One can also find one pictured in the "Coins of Venezuela" Numismatic Venezolana memory game found @ www.monedasdevenezuela.net.

Now take a look at their 1858 5 Reales (then equal to about 25 cents). With LIBERTAD on the coronet and stars centered above, could it have been patterened from an earlier Matron Head large cent, say 1835?