Peru's 1879 issue falls squarely in the middle of the War of the Pacific, the conflict with Chile and Bolivia that would ultimately devastate the country's finances and force a complete collapse of its monetary system by the early 1880s. Whether notes from this series saw meaningful circulation before Chilean forces occupied Lima in 1881 — and the Banco de Lima effectively ceased operations — is an open question. Many issues from this period were never redeemed.
The American Bank Note Company had a near-monopoly on Peruvian government printing at this time, supplying successive issues as the fiscal situation deteriorated with each year of the war.
Peru's 1879 issue falls squarely in the middle of the War of the Pacific, the conflict with Chile and Bolivia that would ultimately devastate the country's finances and force a complete collapse of its monetary system by the early 1880s. Whether notes from this series saw meaningful circulation before Chilean forces occupied Lima in 1881 — and the Banco de Lima effectively ceased operations — is an open question. Many issues from this period were never redeemed.
The American Bank Note Company had a near-monopoly on Peruvian government printing at this time, supplying successive issues as the fiscal situation deteriorated with each year of the war.