| Local Name1: | Balboa panameño |
| Local Name Lang1: | es |
| Image 1: | 50 centavos de balboa.jpg |
| Image 2: | 50 centavos de balboa - reverso.jpg |
| Image Title 1: | balboa (front) |
| Image Title 2: | balboa (back) |
| Iso Code: | PAB |
| Subunit Name 1: | Centésimo |
| Unit: | balboa |
| Symbol: | B/. or ฿.[1] |
| Used Banknotes: | None (U.S. banknotes are employed instead, although denominated in balboas) |
| Used Coins: | 1 and 5 centésimos,,,, and 1 balboa |
| Date Of Introduction: | 1904 |
| Using Countries: |  Panama (alongside the U.S. dollar) |
| Pegged With: | U.S. dollar at par |
| Footnotes: | 1 Panama now uses U.S. dollar notes. |
The balboa (sign: B/.; ISO 4217: PAB) is, along with the United States dollar, one of the official currencies of Panama. It is named in honor of the Spanish explorer and conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa. The balboa is subdivided into 100 centésimos.
The balboa replaced the Colombian peso in 1904 following the country's independence. The balboa has been tied to the United States dollar (which is also legal tender in Panama) at an exchange rate of 1:1 since its introduction and has always circulated alongside dollars.
Panama has never had an official central bank.[2] The National Bank of Panama, one of two government-owned banks, was responsible for nonmonetary aspects of central banking in Panama, assisted by the National Banking Commission (Superintendencia del Mercado de Valores), which was created along with the country's International Financial Center, and was charged with licensing and supervising banks.
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse | Diameter | Thickness | Mass | Composition | Edge | Minted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Un centésimo (B/. 0.01) | Urracá | Denomination | 19.05 mm | 1.55 mm | 3.11 g | Copper 95% Tin/Zinc 5% | Smooth | 1935–1982 | |
| 2.50 g | Copper 2.5% Zinc 97.5% | 1983–Present | |||||||
| Cinco centésimos de balboa (B/. 0.05) | Denomination | Panamanian Coat of Arms | 21.21 mm | 1.95 mm | 5 g | Copper 25% Nickel 75% | Smooth | 1929–Present | |
| Un décimo de balboa (B/. 0.10) | Vasco Núñez de Balboa | 17.91 mm | 1.35 mm | 2.268g | Copper 91.67% Nickel 8.33% | 118 reeds | 1966–Present | ||
| Un cuarto de balboa (B/. 0.25) | 24.26 mm | 1.75 mm | 5.67g | 119 reeds | |||||
| Medio balboa (B/. 0.50) | 30.61 mm | 2.15 mm | 11.34 g | 150 reeds | 1973–Present | ||||
| Un balboa (B/. 1) | Liberty with Panamanian Coat of Arms | 38.1 mm | 2.58 mm | 22.68 g | reeded | 1973–2010 | |||
| Panamanian Coat of Arms | 26.5 mm | 2 mm | 7.2 g | Outer ring: Nickel-plated steel Center: Nickel-brass-plated steel | reeded with inscription | 2011–Present |
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse | Diameter | Thickness | Mass | Composition | Edge | Minted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medio Centesimo de Balboa (¢) (No longer used since 1940) | Vasco Núñez de Balboa | Denomination | Copper-nickel | Smooth | 1907 | |||
| Uno y Cuarto Centesimos (¢) (No longer used since 1970) | Vasco Núñez de Balboa | Denomination | Copper 95% Tin/Zinc 5% | Smooth | 1940 | |||
| Dos y Medio Centesimos de Balboa (¢) (No longer used since 1976) | Vasco Núñez de Balboa | Panamanian Coat of Arms | 1.25 g | 90% Silver, 10% copper | Smooth | 1904 | ||
| Denomination | 18 mm | 3.3 g | Copper-nickel | 1907–1940 | ||||
| Panamanian Coat of Arms | 10 mm | Copper-nickel-plated copper | 1973–1976 |
In 1966, Panama followed the U.S. in changing the composition of their silver coins, with copper-nickel-clad and balboa, and .400 fineness balboa. One-balboa coins, at .900 fineness silver, were issued that year for the first time since 1947. In 1973, copper-nickel-clad balboa coins were introduced. 1973 also saw the revival of the centésimos coin, which had a size similar to that of the U.S. half dime, but these were discontinued two years later due to lack of popular demand. In 1983, 1 centésimo coins followed their U.S. counterpart by switching from copper to copper-plated zinc. Further issues of the 1 balboa coins have been made since 1982 in copper-nickel without reducing its size.
Modern 1, 5 centésimo,,, and balboa coins are the same weight, dimensions, and composition as the U.S. cent, nickel, dime, quarter, and half dollar, respectively. In 2011, new 1-balboa bimetallic coins were issued that are the same dimensions as the U.S. dollar coin.
In addition to circulating issues, commemorative coins in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, and 500 balboas have also been issued. At the time the .925 fineness sterling silver 20 balboa coin honoring Simón Bolívar was introduced in 1971, it was the largest legal tender silver coin in the world, containing 3.85 ozt silver and having a 61 mm diameter.[3]
In 1941, President Arnulfo Arias pushed the government to enact Article 156 to the constitution, authorizing official and private banks to issue paper money. As a result, on 30 September 1941, El Banco Central de Emisión de la República de Panamá (Central Bank of Issue of the Republic of Panama) was established.[4] Arias was deposed in a coup in October and the new banknotes were withdrawn and most destroyed.
Panama uses U.S. banknotes as its main form of cash.