Uruguay's 1976 military government commissioned pattern coinage in several denominations as part of a broader monetary reform study that ultimately produced a circulating series in cheaper alloys. This silver 20 centésimos was never approved for circulation — the junta's economic advisors concluded that silver's commodity value made the denomination unworkable at any realistic face value during a period of persistent regional inflation.
Uruguay's 1976 military government commissioned pattern coinage in several denominations as part of a broader monetary reform study that ultimately produced a circulating series in cheaper alloys. This silver 20 centésimos was never approved for circulation — the junta's economic advisors concluded that silver's commodity value made the denomination unworkable at any realistic face value during a period of persistent regional inflation.