Catalog
10 Soles
| Issuer | Republic of Peru |
|---|---|
| Year | 1863 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 10 Soles (10 PEH) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The obverse displays the Peruvian national coat of arms at center, depicting a quartered shield with a vicuna in the upper left, a cinchona tree in the upper right, and a cornucopia in the lower section, all flanked by two national flags and surmounted by a civic wreath. The date 1863 appears in the exergue below the shield. The circumferential legend reads REPUBLICA PERUANA LIMA 9 DECIMOS FINO Y B, with the mint mark and assayer's initials incorporated into the inscription. The design is executed in fine relief with a toothed border encircling the entire field. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
Peru's 1863 decimal coinage reform replaced the old real system with the sol, adopting a metric-compatible structure modeled closely on French decimal principles. The 10 soles sat at the top of the gold series and was pegged explicitly to the French 32-franc piece in weight and fineness, a deliberate alignment intended to facilitate trade with European partners during Peru's guano-boom years, when the country was flush with foreign credit and eager for monetary respectability.
The type had a short effective run. By 1872, fiscal overextension and the coming collapse of the guano economy pushed Peru toward paper currency, and large gold issues became increasingly impractical before the War of the Pacific ended the question entirely.