Catalog
500 Bolívares
| Issuer | Banco de Carácas |
|---|---|
| Year | 1879 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is printed in green and black tones, with the bank title BANCO DE CARÁCAS arched across the top and the designation COMPAÑIA ANÓNIMA flanking a central guilloche medallion bearing the large numeral 500. Below the medallion, the text VALE POR QUINIENTOS BOLÍVAR appears in bold letterpress, with blanks for date and serial number on either side. At the lower portion, a vignette of a galloping horse is rendered in fine intaglio engraving, with signature lines designated De la Dirección and El Secretario Contador beneath, and the capital declaration CAPITAL Bs.1,300,000 printed across the lower field. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANCO DE CARÁCAS COMPAÑÍA ANÓNIMA CARÁCAS VALE POR QUINIENTOS BOLÍVAR CAPITAL Bs.1,300,000 De la Dirección El Secretario Contador 500 |
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| Comments |
The Banco de Caracas was a private commercial bank chartered in 1876, operating during a period when Venezuela had no central bank and private institutions held the right of note issue. A 500 Bolívares denomination in 1879 represented serious money — not a note that moved through ordinary hands. These circulated almost exclusively in large commercial transactions and interbank settlements.
American Bank Note Company's work for Venezuelan private banks during this period is well documented, and the quality of engraving on this series is markedly higher than contemporaneous domestic printing could have achieved.