Following Chile’s declaration of independence in 1818, one of the tasks of Bernardo O’Higgins’ government (1817–1823) was to establish a national currency. Until then, coins from the Spanish period had continued to circulate, still bearing the portraits of monarchs such as Charles IV of Spain and Ferdinand VII of Spain. In order to support the ideals of the new republic, the Peso Independiente began to be minted. This silver coin was inspired by the highest-denomination piece of the colonial system. Weighing around 27 grams of high-purity silver, it depicted the city of Santiago with the volcanoes of the central region, symbolising the territory and identity of the new state.

During the following decades, copper coinage was also introduced for the first time. It proved essential for everyday transactions that required lower-value pieces than those made of silver. The first Chilean centavos (cents) appeared in the 1830s, during the presidency of General José Joaquín Prieto.

By the 1840s, under the government of General Manuel Bulnes, the series known as the Reales Rompecadenas was minted. These silver coins, issued in denominations of ½, 1, 2, 4 and 8 reales, show on their front side a condor breaking with its beak the chains that held it captive, a clear reference to recent national emancipation. With this series, the Andean condor appeared for the first time on Chilean coinage and would later become one of the most enduring symbols in the country’s numismatic imagery.