Catalog
5000 Bolivianos
| Issuer | Banco Central de Bolivia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1945 |
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| Currency | First boliviano (1864-1963) |
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| Obverse description | Portrait vignette of Marshal Antonio José de Sucre at right within an oval frame, with the Bolivian coat of arms at left. The face value "5000" appears in all four corners over an intricate guilloche underprint, with the issuer name "EL BANCO CENTRAL DE BOLIVIA" in bold lettering across the top. The date "Ley de 20 de Diciembre de 1945" and place of issue "LA PAZ" appear below the central denomination inscription "CINCO MIL BOLIVIANOS", with three signature lines at the bottom above the equivalent value in bolívares. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Central vignette of a llama standing before the Puerta del Sol (Gate of the Sun) at Tiwanaku, set within an elaborate guilloche border. The issuer name "BANCO CENTRAL DE BOLIVIA" runs across the top, with the denomination "5000 BOLIVIANOS" at right and "CINCO MIL BOLIVIANOS" at bottom, flanked by a vignette referencing oil production ("EXPLOTACION DEL PETROLEO") and the equivalent value in bolívares. |
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| Comments |
Bolivia's 1945 series came during a period of sustained wartime commodity revenue — tin exports had surged, but inflation was already eroding purchasing power at the lower denominations, which is partly why notes at this value were in active daily use rather than sitting in vaults. Thomas De La Rue printed the series in London under conditions that were themselves still disrupted by the tail end of the Second World War, when the firm's Bunhill Row works had only recently resumed full commercial production after bomb damage.
The 5000 Bolivianos denomination would be rendered essentially worthless within a decade. Bolivia's 1963 monetary reform replaced the Boliviano at 1000:1, creating the Peso Boliviano.