Catalog
10 Pesos Uruguayos Puma
| Issuer | Banco Central del Uruguay |
|---|---|
| Year | 2011-2015 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Central bimetallic field displays the national coat of arms of Uruguay within an oval shield, quartered with a balance scale, a fortified hill, an ox, and a horse, surmounted by a radiant rising sun. The shield is flanked by olive and laurel branches tied at the base. The circular legend REPUBLICA ORIENTAL DEL URUGUAY runs along the outer nickel-plated steel ring, interrupted at the base by the date in the exergue. The design is struck in the brass-plated steel centre, contrasting with the surrounding ring. |
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| Reverse description | A puma (Puma concolor) depicted in full profile walking to the left, set against a rising sun with 19 radiating rays in the upper field. The denomination $10 appears in the lower field beneath the animal. The composition is confined to the brass-plated steel centre, with the design rendered in a naturalistic style emphasising the animal's powerful form and fluid stride. |
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| Additional information |
Uruguay's 2011 bimetallic 10-peso issue arrived as part of a broader monetary rationalization following the catastrophic 2002 banking crisis, during which the peso lost roughly half its value against the dollar and the government froze bank deposits for four days — an event Uruguayans still call the *corralito*. Rebuilding confidence in circulating coinage meant issuing durable, visually distinct denominations that were harder to confuse with lower values.
The puma designation distinguishes this type from earlier 10-peso issues in the series. Brass-on-steel bimetallics of this period were produced under contract arrangements common to several Latin American mints, and the BCU did not strike domestically.