1 Sol José De La Mar y Cortázar

Part of Peru's ongoing "Riqueza y Orgullo del Perú" commemorative series, this issue honors José de La Mar y Cortázar, one of the few Ecuadorian-born figures to serve as president of Peru. Born in Cuenca in 1778, he commanded Peruvian forces at the Battle of Ayacucho in 1824 — the engagement that effectively ended Spanish rule on the continent. His presidency ended not through election or death but exile: ousted by Agustín Gamarra in 1829 and expelled to Costa Rica, where he died the following year.