Description and research notes
Issued provincial note from El Banco del Chaco, Villa Ocampo branch, dated 1 Octubre 1884, printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., London, under Argentina’s Ley de Bancos Garantidos system. Hand-signed, Series I, serial 15849. The allegorical female personifies Agriculture, flanked by a dog and bull symbolizing loyalty, vigilance, and strength. BWC’s London plates combine intaglio portraiture with delicate micro-lathe patterns, equal in finesse to any contemporary British colonial issue.
Historically, the Chaco series represents Argentina’s experiment with provincial convertibility—private banks issuing gold-backed paper within a unified national framework. These notes circulated briefly across the northern frontier, a region opened by British-funded rail and river trade. Each surviving piece testifies to the reach of foreign engravers in shaping Argentina’s economic imagery.
Cataloged Pick S1566 / Bauman CHA-01a, this is the highest recorded serial among known examples and the only fully preserved specimen traced to the market. It complements the earlier 05056 fragment, confirming press continuity and range across the print run—likely no more than 22,000 sheets, based on the RPN Subasta 22315 reference (Serial 22315). PMG census shows only two graded survivors worldwide, neither matching these serials. Together this pair constitute the definitive record set for Pick S1566, providing the first complete visual documentation of El Banco del Chaco’s 1 Peso Oro issue in private hands.