Catalog
10 Pesos
| Issuer | Banco de Melipilla |
|---|---|
| Year | 1887 |
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| Reference(s) | P#298 |
| Obverse description | The central vignette presents an allegorical female figure reclining and pouring water from a vessel, rendered in fine intaglio engraving against a lightly tinted ground. Two oval side vignettes frame the composition: the left contains a rural beehive scene with foliage, and the right a pastoral scene with livestock including goats and pigs. The denomination '10' appears in large numerals at upper left and right within ornate cartouches, with the issuer name 'BANCO DE MELIPILLA' inscribed across the upper portion in bold letterpress, and the value text 'DIEZ PESOS MONEDA CORRIENTE DE CHILE' along the lower border. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANCO DE MELIPILLA DIEZ 10 PESOS VALE AL PORTADOR A LA VISTA POR DIEZ PESOS MONEDA CORRIENTE DE CHILE Melipilla de 18 CONTADOR SUPERINTENDENTE DE LA CASA DE MONEDA JERENTE American Bank Note Co. New York Serie A |
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| Comments |
Banco de Melipilla was one of several Chilean provincial banks authorized under the 1860 Ley de Bancos, which permitted private institutions outside Santiago to issue their own currency. The arrangement lasted until 1898, when the Chilean government nationalized note issuance — at that point, outstanding provincial bank notes were called in and the issuing banks wound down. Melipilla itself is a small agricultural town southwest of Santiago, and the bank's circulation was almost certainly regional in practice.
American Bank Note Company handled the engraving and printing, as it did for a substantial share of Latin American provincial bank issues in this period. ABNC's New York production records from the 1880s document the Melipilla contract, which accounts for the consistently high engraving quality across the series despite the obscurity of the issuing institution.