Catalog
| Issuer | El Banco de Guatemala |
|---|---|
| Year | 1915-1926 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | EL BANCO DE GUATEMALA QUINIENTOS PESOS PAGARA PORTADOR EN MONEDA EFECTIVA Guatemala No. |
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| Reverse lettering | EL BANCO DE GUATEMALA 500 Compañía Internacional de Billetes de Banco, Nueva York |
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| Comments |
El Banco de Guatemala was a private commercial bank that held the concession to issue currency in Guatemala during the Liberal period — a familiar arrangement across Central America at the time, where note-issuing rights were granted rather than state-held. The Compañía Internacional de Billetes de Banco was the Spanish-language identity under which the American Bank Note Company marketed itself to Latin American clients, and the plates it produced for this series reflect that firm's characteristic high-intaglio quality.
The 500 Pesos denomination would have represented a significant sum in daily Guatemalan commerce, making this effectively a clearing instrument between institutions rather than a note seen in ordinary hands. Guatemala's transition to a state central bank — the Banco Central de Guatemala, established in 1926 — marks the close of this series' issue window and the end of private note-issuing concessions in the country.