Currency of Venezuela at the Royal Mint, London: Franco = 2 Reales = 20 Centavos Peso = 5 Francos = 10 Reales = 100 Centavos The monetary law of March 30, 1848 established the French franc ("franco frances"), 5·00 g, 0·900 fine, as the monetary unit of Venezuela. No detailed explanation was provided—presumably, the new government wanted to make a clean break with the policies of the conservative oligarchy ("Oligarquía Conservadora", 1830–1848) that it replaced. A table of coin ratings expressed in francos was published, and the Franco was declared equal to 20-centavos of the copper coins authorized between 1834 and 1842. Liberty-head
Portuguese Timorese escudo banknotes, below) may have been due to the exchange rate from the previous currency. The 10 and 30 centavos were struck in bronze, the 60 centavos and 1 escudo in cupro-nickel, and the 3 and 6 escudos in silver. In 1964, a silver 10 escudos was introduced, followed, in 1970, by more conventional denominations of 20 and 50 centavos, 1, 2½, 5 and 10 escudos. The 20 and 50 centavos and 1 escudo were struck in bronze, with the higher denominations struck in cupro-nickel. The first banknotes, dated 1959, were in denominations of 30, 60, 100 and 500 escudos. In