Catalog
4 Reales
| Issuer | Banco de Londres y Río de la Plata, Córdoba |
|---|---|
| Year | 1869 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is dominated by an elaborate guilloche border with denomination numerals '4' at each corner and in vertical cartouches along the left margin, interspersed with ornamental rosettes. A central vignette to the left presents a standing sheep in a pastoral setting, enclosed within an oval frame, while the right half carries a letterpress text panel with the bank's name, the promise-to-pay clause, and the manuscript date 'Córdoba, 15 de Noviembre de 1869'. A serial number appears at the upper centre, and a manuscript signature of the bank's representative is placed below the text panel. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata VALE POR CUATRO REALES Pagaremos á la vista al portador CUATRO REALES moneda boliviana en efectivo ó su equivalente en moneda de ley Córdoba, 15 de Noviembre de 1869 Por el Banco CUATRO REALES |
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| Comments |
The Banco de Londres y Río de la Plata was a British-owned institution operating in Argentina under a concession from the provincial government of Córdoba — not the national government in Buenos Aires. This matters because provincial banking in 1860s Argentina was deeply fragmented, with each province empowered to charter its own banks and authorize its own paper currency, resulting in a chaotic plurality of issues that frequently traded at discount outside their home territory.
The 4 reales denomination is a colonial survival. By 1869 Argentina was officially on a peso system, but reales remained in common reckoning in the interior provinces long after formal metrication, and provincial banks issued to meet local expectations rather than national uniformity.
Córdoba branch issues of this bank are considerably scarcer than the Buenos Aires output.