Cartagena 2021 Conference Report

Our company attended the Third International Convention of Historians and Numismatists on December 1st to the 5th in Cartagena, Colombia. This must-attend event for Latin American numismatists brought together many experts and dealers for several days of presentations, exhibits, and discussion as well as sightseeing and excellent Colombian cuisine and drinks. Our own Agustín García-Barneche served as the convention’s Vice President of International Relations for the Northern Hemisphere.

Background on Cartagena & its numismatic history

Cartagena, also known as Cartagena de Indias, is an important Colombian port city founded by Spanish explorers on June 1, 1533. It rapidly grew in prominence due to the flow of gold and silver from the New World into the Spanish fleet ships that would haul the treasure back to Spain. In 1574, King Philip II declared Cartagena to be a city; the following year, he added the title of “the most noble and loyal” to the city.

Numismatically, it bears several important distinctions: as a Spanish colonial mint that operated from 1621 to 1635 then again in 1655; the second to last port of call for the Atocha and Santa Margarita in 1622 during the ill-fated Tierra Firme Fleet; the site of the the Battle of Cartagena de Indias in 1741 erroneously commemorated by the English Admiral Vernon medals; and the location of several bancos and the state treasury that issued paper money in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

After visiting the Castillo de San Felipe, we took a tour of Cartagena’s old city. Given the city’s nearly 500 years of history, some buildings are designed in the colonial style while others were of a more modern republic style construct.

After a busy day of travelling and sightseeing, the conference began on Thursday. Numerous presentations were given on a wide range of numismatic topics, many related to Cartagena and Colombia history.

We were all very honored to attend the convention and see many of our friends in this business, many of which we haven’t seen in person over the past two years. The chance to explore Cartagena and see the places that made numismatic history made this a memorable event for all. Our thanks goes out to all those who coordinated the event, especially to the convention’s organizer, Andrés Felipe Cortázar.

We now look forward to the fourth convention that will be held in 2023 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic!