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500 Soles
| Issuer | La República del Perú |
|---|---|
| Year | 1879 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Black intaglio on yellow and gold underprint, with an elaborate engraved border of repeated guilloche ornaments framing the entire note. At center, the Peruvian Coat of Arms is set within an oval cartouche and surrounded by a group of four cherubs in high-relief intaglio. The title 'La República del Perú' appears in bold script at upper left, with the denomination '500 Quinientos Soles' in large letterpress numerals and text at upper right, and two orange-gold serial number panels flanking the lower portion of the note. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | La República del Perú Pagará al portador Conforme á lo dispuesto en las leyes de 27 de Enero y 4 de Febrero de 1879. LIMA JUNIO 30 DE 1879. POR LA JUNTA ADMINISTRADORA Y DE VIJILANCIA DE LA EMISION FISCAL. 500 Quinientos Soles (Translation: The Republic of Peru will pay to the bearer in accordance with the provisions of the Laws of January 27th and February 4th, 1879. Lima, June 30, 1879. By the Administrative and Oversight Board of the Fiscal Issue. Five Hundred Soles.) |
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| Comments |
Peru's 1879 issue coincided directly with the outbreak of the War of the Pacific, in which Chile, Bolivia, and Peru became embroiled in a conflict that would devastate Peruvian finances for years. The government turned to paper emission as military expenditure surged and specie reserves collapsed, making this 500 Soles note part of a broader inflationary spiral rather than routine banking practice.
The American Bank Note Company had been engraving South American currency since the 1860s and held long-standing contracts with Lima. By the time Chilean forces occupied the capital in 1881, much of this series had either been destroyed, captured, or rendered effectively worthless.