Catalog
5 Pesos
| Issuer | Banco Nacional de Venezuela |
|---|---|
| Year | 1841 |
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| Value | 5 Pesos |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is laid out in a classical early 19th-century engraved style, with the bank title BANCO NACIONAL DE VENEZUELA and denomination CINCO PESOS printed in bold letterpress across the centre. To the left margin sits a detailed vignette of a sailing ship under full sail, while to the right a female allegorical figure is engraved in fine intaglio. The upper register displays the Venezuelan coat of arms flanked by two rectangular panels each bearing the word CINCO and the numeral 5 at the outer corners, with the place and date of issue, CARACAS, Dic. 6 de 1841, and two manuscript director signatures appearing in the lower portion. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANCO NACIONAL DE VENEZUELA CINCO PESOS SON CINCO PESOS CINCO 5 Nº CARACAC, Dic. 6 de 1841 Los directores del Banco |
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| Comments |
The Banco Nacional de Venezuela was founded in 1841 — the same year this note was issued — making it the country's first formal banking institution. The bank's lifespan was brief; political opposition, accusations of monopolistic privilege, and a hostile Congress forced its closure by 1850. Notes from this institution are accordingly rare, and the earliest dated issues rarest of all.
Printing locally in Caracas rather than contracting a European security printer was an unusual choice for the period, when most Latin American banks of issue relied on British or French firms. The quality of locally produced notes varied considerably as a result.