Collection PL

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Paraguay’s paper money history is defined by scarcity, improvisation, and survival. Unlike its neighbors, Paraguay relied on extremely small print runs, local lithography, and emergency issues shaped by war, isolation and political reconstruction. As a result, its earliest notes — from the 1850s Tesoro Nacional reales to the provisional 1912 overprint era — survive today in tiny numbers, often as single known examples.

The late 19th century brought long periods of monetary disruption. The devastation of the War of the Triple Alliance (1864–1870) erased entire emissions, forcing the Treasury to reuse plates, re-engrave stones and validate existing stock well into the 1870s. What collectors now call “types” often represent multiple generations of reworked plates because Paraguay lacked the industrial printing capacity available to Argentina or Brazil.

By 1907, imported printing from London provided a cleaner base — but even these notes were never fully deployed. Instead, they were revalidated in 1912 with bold state overprints (“Emisión del Estado — 11 de Enero de 1912”) to bridge a temporary monetary gap. These overprints vary dramatically in ink tone, strike strength and alignment, giving the series its distinctive character. Most circulated heavily and were destroyed during later reforms, making high-grade survivors exceptionally scarce.

For collectors, Paraguay offers two intertwined narratives: early nation-building paper produced under fragile conditions, and provisional 20th-century revalidations that extended the life of dormant notes. Each piece — pristine specimen or battered survivor — reflects a country rebuilding its monetary identity from limited resources.

The items below sample these eras without repeating card-level details. Use the filters above to shift by year, type or status as this Paraguay section expands with Tesoro Nacional reales, provisional issues, printer archives, and field-circulated survivors.

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Paraguay 1907 100 Pesos Banco de la República specimen with 1912 dual-side state and treasury fiscal revalidation overprint, including Emisión del Estado on the face and Departamento de Hacienda Junta Fiscalizadora Diez Pesos Oro Sellado validation on the reverse, base Pick 159, Pick Unlisted, PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated

Paraguay 1907 - 100 Pesos with 1912 Dual-Side State and Treasury Revalidation Overprint Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

Among recorded Paraguayan emergency issues, the dual-side state and treasury revalidation format is virtually in a class of its own. It is not simply another overprint variety. It is a surviving document of how Paraguay attempted to defend official monetary credibility at a moment when ordinary paper value, legal value, and gold-referenced value were no longer the same thing in practice. The second overprint is therefore the key historical feature: it confirms that this note was not only reissued, but reviewed, fiscalized, and tied back to the higher official “Diez Pesos Oro Sellado” standard. As a Pick-unlisted specimen, base Pick 159, and R9 Extremely Rare survivor, it stands as a museum-grade crown piece of Paraguayan emergency paper money. Read more →

ParaguayOverprint Specimen1907100 PesosPMG 64 Choice Uncirculated Specimen100 PesosPick UnlistedPick 159OverprintState OverprintTreasury OverprintDual-Side OverprintDual-Signature OverprintProvisionalFiscal RevalidationTreasury RevalidationEmergency State IssueParaguayan Emergency Issues1912 ReformJanuary 11 1912 State EmissionMay 20 1912 DecreeBanco de la RepúblicaDepartamento de HaciendaJunta FiscalizadoraEmisión del EstadoDiez Pesos Oro SelladoGold-Value ReaffirmationWaterlow & SonsSouth American Monetary HistoryEarly 20th Century FinanceGovernment RevalidationOverprint VarietiesParaguay19071912PMG 64Choice UncirculatedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique
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Paraguay 1907 100 Pesos Banco de la República note with 1912 Emisión del Estado state overprint on the face, Pick 134, base Pick 159, printed by Waterlow & Sons, London, PMG 65 EPQ Gem Uncirculated Top Pop

Paraguay 1907 - 100 Pesos with 1912 State Overprint (Pick 134, Base Pick 159)

The 1912 overprint was not a decorative or routine bank marking. It was an emergency act of monetary authority. Paraguay entered 1912 under severe political and fiscal pressure, with civil unrest, weakened banking confidence, and a shortage of reliable circulating paper. Rather than waiting for an entirely new currency series to be prepared, the government turned to existing Banco de la República stocks and converted them into state-recognized obligations by means of a direct overprint. The oval “Emisión del Estado” stamp announced that the note was no longer merely an earlier bank issue, but had been accepted into the emergency monetary structure of the state. Read more →

ParaguayOverprint Issue1907100 PesosPMG 65 EPQ Gem Uncirculated (Top Pop) Overprint Issue100 PesosPick 134Pick 159Base Pick 159State OverprintSingle-Side OverprintFace OverprintProvisionalEmergency State IssueFiscal RevalidationGovernment RevalidationWaterlow & SonsBanco de la RepúblicaEmisión del EstadoLey de 11 de Enero de 1912Moneda NacionalDiez Pesos Oro SelladoGold-Value ClauseSeries ARed Serial NumberBlack Oval OverprintArchitectural VignetteGuilloché Security DesignParaguayan Emergency Issues1912 ReformParaguayan Civil War PeriodSouth American Monetary HistoryEarly 20th Century FinanceEmergency CurrencyOverprint VarietiesState LiabilityCurrency RevalidationParaguayRepublic of Paraguay19071912PMG 65 EPQGem UncirculatedTop PopMuseum GradeR7 Extremely RareHistory
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Paraguay 1907 Banco de la República 100 Pesos issued note, Pick 159, non-overprinted base type later used for the 1912 state overprint issues, printed by Waterlow & Sons, London, with 100 watermark and Moneda Nacional ó Diez Pesos Oro Sellado clause, PMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated

Paraguay 1907 - Banco de la República 100 Pesos Issued Note (Pick 159)

Certified PMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated, this issued Pick 159 stands as a museum-grade reference example for early Paraguayan paper money. It is the clean base against which the 1912 single-side state overprint and the dual-side state and treasury revalidation can be compared. For a collector or researcher studying Paraguay’s transition from the 1907 Banco de la República issue to the emergency monetary actions of 1912, this note is not simply an attractive issued example. It is the foundation piece. Read more →

ParaguayIssued Note1907100 PesosPMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated Issued Note100 PesosPick 159Banco de la RepúblicaBase TypeNon-Overprinted IssueOriginal IssueSeries ARed Serial NumberWaterlow & SonsWaterlow & Sons London100 WatermarkWmk 100Architectural VignetteBanco de la República BuildingGuilloché Security DesignIntaglio PrintingYellow-Green TintBlack EngravingLarge Denomination PanelsMoneda NacionalDiez Pesos Oro SelladoGold-Value ClauseTen Sealed Gold PesosBase for 1912 State OverprintBase for Pick 134Base for Dual-Side Treasury RevalidationParaguayan Monetary HistorySouth American Monetary HistoryEarly 20th Century FinancePre-1912 Emergency IssueReference TypeCurrency Reform ContextHistoryParaguayRepublic of Paraguay19071912PMG 66 EPQGem UncirculatedMuseum Grade
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Paraguay 1856 2 Reales Tesoro Nacional Treasury Note, earliest national paper money of Paraguay, signed by Matias Reina and Santiago Ozcariz, Pick Unlisted and attributed as Miguel Pratt MC14.

Paraguay 1856 - Tesoro Nacional 2 Reales Treasury Note, Earliest National Paper Money (Pick Unlisted, Miguel Pratt MC14)

Historically, the 1856 Tesoro Nacional issue belongs to Paraguay's nation-building decade. The government of Carlos Antonio Lopez sought to modernize state administration, strengthen internal finance, and support commerce in an economy where metallic money remained limited. Small-denomination Treasury paper helped fill a practical monetary gap at the local level. Most early pieces were redeemed, worn out, or lost during the violent disruption of the War of the Triple Alliance, leaving the first Paraguayan paper-money issue almost absent from surviving material. Read more →

ParaguayTreasury Note18562 RealesUncertified Very Fine Original, Blank Reverse 2 RealesTreasury NoteTesoro Nacional Treasury NoteEarliest National Paper MoneyFirst IssueHandsignedBlank ReversePrimitive LithographyThin Handmade PaperTesoro NacionalCarlos Antonio LopezMatias ReinaSantiago OzcarizAsuncion PrintingParaguayan Monetary OriginsEarly National PaperSouth American Fiscal HistoryWar of the Triple AllianceHistoryParaguay1856Pick UnlistedMiguel Pratt MC14R10 UniqueR10Unique Known ExampleMuseum Grade
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Paraguay 1907 Banco de la República 5 Pesos with 1912 dual-side state and Treasury revalidation overprint, Pick Unlisted, base Pick 156, showing Emisión del Estado on the face and Departamento de Hacienda Junta Fiscalizadora Cincuenta Centavos Oro Sellado validation on the reverse, printed by Waterlow & Sons, London, raw uncirculated

Paraguay 1907 - Banco de la República 5 Pesos with 1912 Dual-Side State and Treasury Revalidation Overprint (Pick Unlisted, Base Pick 156)

The original Pick 156 design already carried the monetary clause “Moneda Nacional ó Cincuenta Centavos Oro Sellado,” meaning that the 5 Pesos paper denomination was legally associated with fifty centavos in sealed gold value. During the monetary instability of 1912, this phrase became more than a printed value formula. It gave the government a pre-existing legal and monetary reference point that could be reaffirmed through emergency overprinting. The reverse Treasury stamp is especially meaningful because it repeats the gold-value language directly, making the fiscal validation not just an ownership or issue mark, but a visible reaffirmation of the note’s official value status. Read more →

ParaguayDual-Side Overprint Issue19075 PesosUncirculated Dual-Side Overprint Issue5 PesosPick UnlistedPick 156Base Pick 156OverprintState OverprintTreasury OverprintDual-Side OverprintFace OverprintReverse OverprintProvisionalEmergency State IssueFiscal RevalidationTreasury RevalidationGovernment RevalidationWaterlow & SonsWaterlow & Sons LondonBanco de la RepúblicaEmisión del EstadoLey de 11 de Enero de 1912Departamento de HaciendaJunta FiscalizadoraConforme Decreto de 20 de Mayo 1912Moneda NacionalCincuenta Centavos Oro SelladoGold-Value ClauseSeries ARed Serial NumberBlack Oval OverprintReverse Treasury ValidationGuilloché Security DesignIntaglio PrintingParaguayan Emergency Issues1912 ReformParaguayan Civil War PeriodSouth American Monetary HistoryEarly 20th Century FinanceEmergency CurrencyOverprint VarietiesState LiabilityTreasury VerificationCurrency RevalidationPublic Finance HistoryHistoryParaguayRepublic of Paraguay19071912UncirculatedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely Rare
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Paraguay 1907 Banco de la República 5 Pesos with 1912 Emisión del Estado state overprint on the face, Pick 127, base Pick 156, printed by Waterlow & Sons, London, PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated

Paraguay 1907 - Banco de la República 5 Pesos with 1912 State Overprint (Pick 127, Base Pick 156)

The base design is a refined Waterlow & Sons production. The face combines black intaglio engraving, pale blue underprinting, large 5 Pesos denomination devices, a red serial number, and a dense guilloché security field. The Gothic-style Banco de la República lettering gives the note a strong institutional character, while the national emblem at center provides the ideal location for the later state overprint. The reverse, printed in brown, uses large denomination medallions, guilloché rosettes, and the national emblem to create a balanced and technically sophisticated security design. Read more →

ParaguayOverprint Issue19075 PesosPMG 64 Choice Uncirculated Overprint Issue5 PesosPick 127Pick 156Base Pick 156State OverprintSingle-Side OverprintFace OverprintProvisionalEmergency State IssueFiscal RevalidationGovernment RevalidationWaterlow & SonsWaterlow & Sons LondonBanco de la RepúblicaEmisión del EstadoLey de 11 de Enero de 1912Moneda NacionalCincuenta Centavos Oro SelladoGold-Value ClauseSeries ARed Serial NumberBlack Oval OverprintGuilloché Security DesignIntaglio PrintingBlue UnderprintBrown ReverseNational EmblemParaguayan Emergency Issues1912 ReformParaguayan Civil War PeriodSouth American Monetary HistoryEarly 20th Century FinanceEmergency CurrencyOverprint VarietiesState LiabilityCurrency RevalidationPublic Finance HistoryHistoryParaguayRepublic of Paraguay19071912PMG 64Choice UncirculatedMuseum GradeR7 Extremely Rare
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Paraguay 1907 Banco de la República 5 Pesos issued note, Pick 156, original non-overprinted base type later used for the 1912 state overprint Pick 127 and the dual-side Treasury revalidation variety, printed by Waterlow & Sons, London, with 5 watermark and Moneda Nacional ó Cincuenta Centavos Oro Sellado clause, PMG 65 EPQ Gem Uncirculated

Paraguay 1907 - Banco de la República 5 Pesos Issued Note (Pick 156)

The issued Pick 156 also provides the clearest visual comparison for the 1912 overprinted notes. On the single-side Pick 127 issue, the face overprint crosses the central portrait and title, visibly placing state authority over the original banknote. On the dual-side Pick Unlisted variety, the reverse overprint adds the Departamento de Hacienda and Junta Fiscalizadora layer and repeats the “Cincuenta Centavos Oro Sellado” value formula. Without the issued note, those later interventions can be misunderstood as isolated markings. With the issued note present, the full sequence becomes clear: Paraguay first had a refined Banco de la República note, then turned surviving stock into emergency state currency, and in special cases added further Treasury control. Read more →

ParaguayIssued Note19075 PesosPMG 65 EPQ Gem Uncirculated Issued Note5 PesosPick 156Banco de la RepúblicaBase TypeNon-Overprinted IssueOriginal IssueSeries ARed Serial NumberWaterlow & SonsWaterlow & Sons London5 WatermarkWatermark 5Allegorical PortraitFemale PortraitGuilloché Security DesignIntaglio PrintingBlue UnderprintBrown ReverseNational EmblemLarge Denomination PanelsMoneda NacionalCincuenta Centavos Oro SelladoGold-Value ClauseHalf Peso OroBase for 1912 State OverprintBase for Pick 127Base for Dual-Side Treasury RevalidationParaguayan Monetary HistorySouth American Monetary HistoryEarly 20th Century FinancePre-1912 Emergency IssueReference TypeCurrency Reform ContextHistoryParaguayRepublic of Paraguay19071912PMG 65 EPQGem UncirculatedExceptional Paper QualityMuseum GradeR7 Extremely Rare
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