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1 Quetzal Banco Central de Guatemala, 1st. print, with Law date
| Issuer | Banco Central de Guatemala |
|---|---|
| Year | 1926-1928 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | P#6 |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Printed entirely in green intaglio on a fine guilloche underprint. A central vignette presents the ancient Maya monolith of Quiriguá amid tropical foliage, with a standing figure providing scale. A large circular guilloche medallion occupies the left field, and a geometric lace-pattern numeral "1" cartouche fills the right. The bank title "BANCO CENTRAL DE GUATEMALA" runs in bold letterpress across the top, with the denomination "UN QUETZAL" at the lower centre, and the printer's imprint "THOMAS DE LA RUE & COMPANY, LIMITED. LONDRES" at the very bottom. |
| Reverse lettering | BANCO CENTRAL DE GUATEMALA UN QUETZAL 1 THOMAS DE LA RUE & COMPANY, LIMITED. LONDRES (Translation: Central Bank of Guatemala One Quetzal 1 / Thomas De La Rue & Company, Limited. London) |
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| Comments |
Guatemala's Banco Central was established in 1926 as part of a broader monetary reform pushed through under President Lázaro Chacón, replacing the fragmented system of private bank issuance that had persisted since the nineteenth century. This note, from the bank's inaugural print run, carries a law date rather than an actual issuance date — a distinction that matters here because the enabling legislation and the physical notes did not necessarily reach circulation simultaneously.
De La Rue's work for newly centralized Latin American banks in this period was extensive, and Guatemala was one of several countries that turned to London for the credibility that a recognized security printer conferred on an untested institution.