Catalog
500 Soles
| Issuer | La Providencia - Sociedad General del Perú |
|---|---|
| Year | 1864 |
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| Currency | Sol (1863-1985) |
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| Obverse description | The obverse bears the title 'La Providencia / Sociedad General del Perú' in ornate script across the upper portion, with a standing allegorical female figure vignette at the left margin. A large guilloche underprint in pink carries the denomination text 'QUINIENTOS Soles' in bold letterpress at centre, flanked by oval denomination counters reading '500' at upper right and lower left. Three signature lines are printed below, captioned 'El Tesorero', 'El Presidente', and 'El Director General', with the date 'Lima, 30 de Junio 1864' inscribed in manuscript. A caduceus vignette appears at the lower right corner. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | La Providencia Sociedad General del Perú La Administración General pagará á vista al portador la cantidad de QUINIENTOS Soles 1864 el 30 de Junio Lima 30 de Junio 1864 El Tesorero El Presidente El Director General 500 |
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| Comments |
La Providencia — Sociedad General del Perú was one of several private commercial banks chartered in Lima during the early 1860s boom in Peruvian banking, itself fueled by guano export revenues flooding the national economy. These institutions issued their own notes with minimal central oversight, a practice that collapsed badly later in the decade as overleveraged banks failed and public confidence evaporated.
At 500 Soles, this is among the highest denominations the bank produced — a figure that would have moved between merchants and trading houses, not ordinary hands. Few survived.