UNC 1968 Paraguay Silver 300 Guaranies Pres. Stroessner KM#29 250K Minted World

Description

1968 PARAGUAY SILVER 300 GUARANIES PRESIDENT STROESSNER UNC CROWN KM#29.
Silver crown issued to commemorate the fourth term of Alfred Stroessner, who ruled Paraguay from 1954-1989. He was a former officer in the military, and ruled with an iron fist, until he was overthrown and lived in exile until his death in 1989.
Alfredo Stroessner (November 3, 1912 – August 16, 2006) was a Paraguayan Army officer who served as President of Paraguay from 1954 to 1989. He ascended to the position after leading an army coup in 1954. His 35-year-long rule, marked by an uninterrupted period of repression in his country, is the longest in modern South American history. Stroessner's rule is ranked 20th-longest among non-royal national leaders since 1900 and made him one of the world's longest-serving non-royal heads of state.
The edge inscription appears to refer to the centennial of the disastrous Paraguayan War (also known as the War of the Triple Alliance) which began in 1864, in which Paraguay fought against Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. This war cost the country about 25-33% of its territory, and a massive portion of its population. It is estimated that the population of Paraguay was 450,000 to 900,000 before the war, and only 220,000 after of the war--of which only 28,000 were adult males. Brazilian forces seized the national archives in 1869 and move them to Rio; they have not been returned. The treaty between Paraguay and Brazil was not signed until 1872, and Brazilian forces occupied Paraguay until 1876.