| Descripción del anverso |
The obverse is printed in green and black with an elaborate engraved vignette at centre showing two allegorical female figures seated flanking a shield with a sailing ship in the background, rendered in fine intaglio style typical of American Bank Note Company work. The large numeral '5' appears in green at upper left and upper right, with the bank title 'BANCO DE LONDRES MEXICO' arching across the top and 'Y SUD AMERICA' below. Lower left carries a vignette of two children, lower right a portrait of a woman, with the denomination 'CINCO SOLES' and place of issue 'LIMA' inscribed in the central text area, accompanied by manuscript signature lines for Contador and Gerente. |
| Leyenda del anverso |
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| Descripción del reverso |
The reverse is printed entirely in green with a highly ornate guilloche pattern filling the entire field. A central cartouche with layered lathe-work borders contains the inscription 'BANCO DE LONDRES / MEXICO Y / SUD AMERICA' in three lines, with 'CINCO' printed in bold letters within an inner oval. Large bold numerals '5' appear at left and right within decorative frames, and a continuous border of small '5' numerals runs along all four edges. |
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| Firma(s) |
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The Banco de Londres México y Sud América was a British-chartered institution operating in Peru, and this 1866 issue predates the establishment of a Peruvian central bank by decades. The American Bank Note Company held a near-monopoly on South American commercial bank printing at this period, supplying plates to dozens of competing institutions across the continent — which is why notes from entirely unrelated banks of this era can look strikingly similar in their engraving style and border work.
The "Soles" denomination reflects Peru's 1863 monetary reform, which replaced the old peso system. This note is among the earliest issues under that framework.