Catalog
5 Pesos
| Issuer | Banco de Quito |
|---|---|
| Year | 1880 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 Pesos |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is executed entirely in a single dark ink, dominated by an elaborate guilloche lathe-work border enclosing a large central rectangular panel bearing the bank name BANCO DE QUITO in bold serif lettering. Large ornamental numeral 5 devices appear at each lateral extremity within intricate floral and geometric engine-turned patterns, and a small circular stamp or seal impression is visible near the upper left corner. |
| Reverse lettering | BANCO DE QUITO 5 |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
The Banco de Quito was one of several private banks granted note-issuing privileges in Ecuador during the 1870s and 1880s, a period when the country had no central bank and commercial institutions effectively controlled the money supply. Competition between Guayaquil and Quito-based banks was fierce and occasionally destabilizing — the Banco de Quito's notes circulated against rivals whose solvency was equally questionable.
American Bank Note Company's work for Ecuadorian private banks during this period was extensive. The intaglio printing quality consistently exceeded what these institutions could have sourced domestically, which gave the notes an air of credibility the backing institutions didn't always deserve.