Catalog
2 Pesos
| Issuer | Banco Centro-Americano |
|---|---|
| Year | 1888 |
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| Value | 2 Pesos |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is dominated by three vignettes across the upper portion: a harbour scene with sailing vessels at left, a central oval vignette with a steamship at sea, and a locomotive with railway cars at right. The bank title 'CENTRO-AMERICANO' is printed in large bold letters across the centre, flanked by the numeral '2' on each side. Below, the denomination 'Dos Pesos' appears twice in ornate script, with the issuing authority inscription 'República de Honduras, Tegucigalpa, Noviembre 30 de 1888' and three manuscript signature lines for El Director, El Ministro de Hacienda, and El Gerente. An oval heraldic vignette of the Honduran coat of arms appears at the lower right, and a 'BANCO' overprint panel is visible at the upper left corner. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in green and displays a central circular medallion bearing the bank title 'BANCO CENTRO-AMERICANO' surrounding the text, flanked on each side by allegorical female figures in a classical style. Elaborate guilloche latticework and floral arabesque borders frame the composition, with the numeral '2' rendered in ornate counters at the left and right edges. The word 'TEGUCIGALPA' appears along the lower border arc beneath the central medallion, and 'DOS PESOS' is inscribed around the upper arc of the guilloche surround. |
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| Comments |
The Banco Centro-Americano was a short-lived Guatemalan private bank operating under the liberal banking legislation of the Barrios and subsequent reform governments, which briefly permitted competitive note issuance before the state moved to consolidate control. The American Bank Note Company handled most of the prestige commercial printing coming out of Central America in this period — their New York plates were reused across multiple regional issuers, sometimes with only the bank name and denomination altered.
Pick 132 is scarce. The bank's operational window was narrow, and surviving notes suggest redemption or destruction rather than prolonged circulation.