Catalog
5 Pesos
| Issuer | Provincia de Buenos Aires - Ministerio de Hacienda / Aduana |
|---|---|
| Year | 1820 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Peso (1826-1985) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | No. cuatrocientos veintycuatro / Agosto / PAPEL VILLETE / O AMORTIZABLE / VALE POR CINCO PESOS / Admisibles en Aduana en introducciones maritimas y terrestres. |
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| Protection description | Circular embossed official seal of the Provincia de Buenos Aires; black wax seal impression; two handwritten manuscript signatures of issuing officials |
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| Comments |
One of the earliest quasi-fiscal instruments issued on the Río de la Plata, this note predates the Banco de la Provincia de Buenos Aires by nearly a decade. The Ministerio de Hacienda's customs office resorted to paper obligations in 1820 partly because Buenos Aires was in fiscal freefall — that year alone saw three different governors and the near-collapse of the Directorate of the United Provinces. Hard currency had largely fled the port economy.
Manuscript signatures and a hand-applied seal were the only authentication devices, which made forgery a genuine operational concern. The PS# prefix in the Pick classification flags it as a privately or semi-officially issued obligation rather than a central bank note — an important distinction for cataloging purposes.