Catalog
20 Pesos
| Issuer | El Gobierno Nacional, Confederacion Argentina |
|---|---|
| Year | 1859 |
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| Value | 20 Pesos |
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| Obverse description | Plain cream paper note with a simple typeset layout typical of mid-nineteenth century Argentine confederation issues. The upper portion bears the legend 'CONFEDERACION ARGENTINA' flanked by the denomination '20 PESOS' on either side, with a reference to the law 'Ley de 30 de Septiembre de 1859' across the top margin. The central text block, headed 'EL GOBIERNO NACIONAL' in large letterpress type, contains the obligation text in Spanish promising payment of Veinte Pesos, with three manuscript signature lines below for El Ministro de Hacienda, El Contador, and El Tesorero, all bearing handwritten signatures. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Ley de 30 de Septiembre de 1859 20 PESOS. CONFEDERACION ARGENTINA. 20 PESOS. Paraná No. EL GOBIERNO NACIONAL VEINTE PESOS El Ministro de Hacienda. El Contador. El Tesorero. VEINTE PESOS. |
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| Comments |
The Confederación Argentina was the rival federal government headquartered in Paraná, existing in direct political opposition to the Estado de Buenos Aires during the late 1850s. This note was issued under that short-lived authority, which effectively ceased to function as a separate entity after the Battle of Pavón in 1861 reunified the country under Buenos Aires dominance — making any paper issued in its name politically obsolete almost immediately.
The PS prefix in Pick's catalogue signals this as a privately issued or provisional state note, and surviving examples from this series are genuinely scarce. The Confederación's fiscal situation was chronically desperate throughout its existence, dependent on customs revenue from the port of Rosario that never rivaled what Buenos Aires extracted from its own harbor.