10 Australes

La Rioja was one of several Argentine provinces that issued their own quasi-currency during the mid-1980s as the national government's fiscal crisis left provincial payrolls chronically underfunded. These notes — officially called "Australes" to mirror the national denomination introduced in 1985 — functioned as salary payments and were accepted by provincial tax offices, effectively forcing local circulation. The arrangement was tolerated by Buenos Aires but legally ambiguous throughout its existence.

Casa de Moneda's involvement lent the notes a surface credibility that purely private printings lacked, though provincial paper of this period is frequently found with rough perforations and uneven ink coverage as a consequence of rushed production schedules.