The Fleet Society is most pleased to announce that our very own Advisory Board member, Jorge Proctor (Member #10), was recently honored with a prestigious literary award at the American Numismatic Association Convention in Pittsburgh last week.
The Numismatic Literary Guild awarded its 2026 Best Specialized Book Award in the category of “Numismatic History or Personalities” to Jorge for his recent book “La Historia monetaria del Departmento de Panama entre 1886 y 1903”, (The Monetary History of the Department of Panama Between 1886 and 1903). Published by Jorge on February 15, 2026, it was a limited Spanish commemorative edition of 140 books, in remembrance of the 140th anniversary of the establishment of the Department of Panama.
It is common knowledge that what is today the Republic of Panama was, between 1821 and 1903, part of Colombia. This might mistakenly imply that all Colombian coins and banknotes circulating during those years were legal tender in Panama. However, the reality is quite different.
From at least 1863 onwards, Colombia managed Panama’smonetary policy differently through various laws and decrees. Consequently, for much of this period, the isthmus had a numismatic history distinct from the rest of Colombia—one that remained largely overlooked by the numismatic community.
This book explores the numismatic history of Panama during the 17-year period from the establishment of the Department of Panama in 1886, until November 3, 1903, when Panama definitively gained its independence from Colombia. The book’smost significant achievement is that it contains entirely unpublished material, fully documented through 154 endnotes, and an extensive bibliography. This is a subject on which nothing has previously been written.
We congratulate Jorge on his latest accomplishment. It is well deserved.
Ben Costello, President
