Catalog
5000 Bolivianos
| Issuer | Banco Central de Bolivia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1945 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5000 Bolivianos |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Intaglio portrait of Mariscal Antonio José de Sucre in military uniform at right, set within a fine guilloche border. The central field carries the large numeral '5000' over the denomination legend 'CINCO MIL BOLIVIANOS' against an intricate rosette underprint, with serial numbers and series letter printed in red at upper left and lower right. The issuing authority 'EL BANCO CENTRAL DE BOLIVIA' runs across the top, with the place and date of issue 'LA PAZ, LEY DE 20 DE DICIEMBRE DE 1945' below, and two facsimile signatures of bank officials at the foot of the note. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | BANCO CENTRAL DE BOLIVIA PUERTA DEL SOL (TIAHUANACU) CINCO MIL BOLIVIANOS QUINIENTOS BOLIVARES |
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| Comments |
Bolivia's wartime economy ran hot on commodity revenues — tin, rubber, and tungsten exports to the Allies pushed government spending well beyond what lower denominations could comfortably handle, which is the real reason notes of this size entered circulation in the mid-1940s. Thomas De La Rue had maintained the Banco Central account through the 1930s, and this high-value note continues that relationship.
The 5000 Bolivianos denomination was short-lived in practical terms. Postwar inflation rapidly eroded its purchasing power, and Bolivia's subsequent monetary reforms — culminating in the 1963 introduction of the Peso Boliviano at a rate of 1000 to 1 — rendered the entire Bolivianos series obsolete.