Description and research notes
Earliest known Banco Oriental 10 Pesos = 1 Doblón de Oro Sellado, dated 1 de Agosto de 1867 and printed by the American Bank Note Company, New York. This inaugural issue inaugurates Uruguay’s classic ABNC ‘Commerce and Arms’ design, later reused in the 1871 re-authorization. The left vignette shows two allegorical female figures representing Abundance and Commerce; the right side carries the national coat of arms above crossed flags and laurel wreaths.
Each note was individually hand-signed in Montevideo by the Banco Oriental’s officials, using dark brown ink. The vivid orange central guilloche encircles the bold legend *UN DOBLÓN DE ORO SELLADO*, signifying convertibility to sealed gold coin. Paper is thin, watermarked stock characteristic of ABNC’s 1860s Latin American contracts.
Cataloged as Pick S385a (1867 issue). This variety precedes all 1871 re-emissions (S171–S172) and provides the foundational plate for Uruguay’s later ‘Doblón’ currency. The present example, serial 55818, graded PMG 15 Choice Fine, anchors the four-note Banco Oriental sequence now spanning 1867–1871.