Catalog
10 Pesos
| Issuer | Aguan Navigation and Improvement Company |
|---|---|
| Year | 1886 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is dominated by a large central vignette bearing the ornate cursive title 'Aguan Navigation and Improvement Company' as an overprint across the entire field. To the left, an oval portrait vignette presents a bust of a bearded gentleman in formal attire. To the right, a detailed intaglio vignette of a steam-powered sailing vessel at anchor appears within a decorative border. The denomination 'DIEZ PESOS' is rendered in bold letterpress across the centre, with serial number panels and the issuing authority legend at lower left and right. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in green and features a central numeral '10' within an ornate guilloche rosette, flanked by the word 'DIEZ' in bold lettering and two decorative medallions. The legend 'AGUAN NAVIGATION AND IMPROVEMENT CO.' runs across the top within a foliate border. The words 'UNITED STATES' and 'REPUBLICA HONDURAS' appear to the left and right respectively, with 'PESOS' printed vertically along both margins. A text block in Spanish at centre-bottom states the conditions of acceptance and redemption of the note. |
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| Comments |
The Aguan Navigation and Improvement Company was a U.S.-backed enterprise operating in the Aguán River valley of Honduras during the 1880s, primarily engaged in banana cultivation and river transport concessions. Private company scrip of this type filled a practical gap — hard currency was chronically scarce in Honduras's Caribbean lowlands, and labor camps operated far enough from any banking infrastructure that employers effectively ran their own monetary systems.
American Bank Note Company printed this in New York, which was routine for Latin American private and government issues of the period. ABNC's involvement guarantees a certain engraving quality, though the company didn't much distinguish between a sovereign client and a fruit concession.
Pick lists only a handful of Aguan issues; P#105 is among the higher denominations, suggesting it was intended for payroll settlement rather than daily camp transactions.