Catalog
20 Soles
| Issuer | República del Perú |
|---|---|
| Year | 1879 |
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| Size | 177 × 77 mm |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | La República del Perú Pagará al Portador Veinte Soles Conforme á lo leyes de 27 de Enero dispuesto en las y 4 de Febrero de 1879 Por la Junta y de Vijilancia de Administradora la Emision Fiscal Lima Junio 30 de 1879 American Bank Note Co. N.Y. |
| Reverse description | Printed entirely in dark blue, the reverse is dominated by a large central '20' numeral set within an intricate lathe-work guilloche medallion, overlaid by the bold inscription 'La República del Perú' in ornate lettering. A small vignette of the Peruvian coat of arms appears at the left, flanked by elaborate engine-turned borders. The denomination 'Veinte Soles' and numerals '20' are repeated in the top and bottom panel borders, with the printer's imprint 'American Bank Note Company, New York' at the lower margin. |
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| Comments |
Peru's 1879 war finance notes — this series among them — were issued under severe fiscal pressure as the country entered the War of the Pacific against Chile and Bolivia. The government turned to paper money in part because silver coinage was being hoarded and exported at an accelerating rate. ABNC printed the series before hostilities fully erupted, but the notes circulated through some of the worst years of the conflict, including the Chilean occupation of Lima in 1881.
The P#7A designation distinguishes a signature variety within the broader 1879 issue. Occupation-era redemption was chaotic, and a substantial portion of circulating notes were never formally retired.