Catalog
20 Soles
| Issuer | República del Perú |
|---|---|
| Year | 1879 |
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| Reference(s) | P#7 |
| Obverse description | Central vignette of an allegorical female figure seated amid maritime and agricultural implements, printed in dark blue-black intaglio on white paper with ornate guilloche border. The denomination "XX" appears in the upper-left corner and "20" in the upper-right, with "Veinte Soles" inscribed in large letters to either side of the central vignette. Date "LIMA JUNIO 30 DE 1879" is printed at the lower center, with the imprint of the American Bank Note Co., N.Y. below, and manuscript signatures appear across the lower portion of the note. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | REPÚBLICA DEL PERÚ VEINTE SOLES 20 XX AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY, NEW YORK |
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| Comments |
Peru's 1879 issue arrived at the worst possible moment — the country entered the War of the Pacific against Chile and Bolivia that same year, and the financial strain of that conflict would eventually collapse the sol entirely. The American Bank Note Company had been supplying Peruvian currency since the early 1870s, and this note belongs to a short-lived series whose circulation was overtaken by emergency fiscal paper and, ultimately, military defeat.
By 1881, Chilean forces occupied Lima. Much of the currency infrastructure was disrupted, and redemption of pre-war notes became effectively impossible for most holders.