5 Soles

The Banco Nacional del Perú was founded in 1872 with backing from the Peruvian government and a consortium of local capitalists, intended to compete with the longer-established Banco del Perú. This note predates the catastrophic War of the Pacific by only two years — the conflict that began in 1879 would effectively destroy Peru's banking system, with most commercial banks collapsing or suspending payments as Chilean forces advanced. Notes from these institutions, issued during the brief window of relative stability in the mid-1870s, rarely survived the chaos that followed.

The American Bank Note Company engraved and printed the series in New York, as was common for South American issuers seeking security printing beyond local capacity.