Catalog
5 Pesos
| Issuer | Banco Agrícola Mercantil |
|---|---|
| Year | 1888 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANCO FUNDADO POR LEONARDO LACAYO EM 1888 EL BANCO AGRICOLA MERCANTIL Pagará al portador y a la vista la cantidad de 5 CINCO PESOS V EN MOEDA ACUÑADA León, Nic. Nov. 6 de 1888. American Bank Note Co., New York (Translation: Bank founded by Leonardo Lacayo in 1888 The Mercantile Agricultural Bank It will pay to the bearer and on sight the amount of Five Pesos in minted currency León, Nic. November 6, 1888. American Bank Note Co., New York) |
| Reverse description | Printed in brown, the reverse is dominated by an elaborate guilloche framework of interlocking scrollwork, rosettes, and lathe-work patterns filling the entire field. A large numeral "5" is set within a central guilloche panel, with the bank name "BANCO AGRICOLA-MERCANTIL" inscribed in a banner below and "BANCO" lettered at the top; the imprint of the American Bank Note Company, New York appears at the foot. |
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| Comments |
Banco Agrícola Mercantil was a Guatemalan private bank operating under the 1874 banking law that opened the country to chartered note-issuing institutions. The American Bank Note Company produced paper for several Guatemalan private banks during this period, and the engraving quality on the S108 series reflects the firm's standard commercial work of the late 1880s rather than any bespoke commission.
Private bank notes in Guatemala were effectively displaced after 1926 when the Banco Central de Guatemala assumed sole right of issue. Surviving examples from 1888 private issuers are uncommon simply because redemption and destruction were thorough.