Description and research notes
A printer’s archival specimen of the 1872 issue of the Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata, denominated 100 Pesos Nacionales with an explicit equivalence to 10 Doblones in gold. This dual-denomination construction represents one of the most ambitious monetary experiments undertaken in nineteenth-century Uruguay, attempting to anchor paper currency directly to a fixed gold value at a time of persistent instability and public distrust in fiduciary issues.
The note was produced in London by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. as part of the bank’s highest-level security printing program. Its oversized format, broad unprinted margins, and finely executed intaglio engraving identify it as an archival specimen rather than a circulation note. The serial number 010001 places this piece at the very beginning of the production sequence, consistent with an early pull retained for reference, approval, or institutional record rather than public issue.
The face design is dominated by a central allegorical female figure bearing a flag and shield, symbolizing sovereignty and national resolve. Surrounding vignettes incorporate emblems of commerce, agriculture, and native fauna, reinforcing the intended message of economic stability and national identity. The denomination is stated both as paper currency and as a gold equivalent, an unusually explicit declaration that reflects Uruguay’s short-lived attempt to restore confidence through a formal gold linkage.
This specimen was never intended for circulation. Its preservation without signs of handling, together with specimen markings and the absence of circulation wear, confirms its role as a controlled archival reference. While issued examples of this type are historically documented, no confirmed issued survivors are presently traceable, and none approach the clarity, completeness, or condition of this specimen.
At the time of writing, this is the only documented specimen of the 1872 100 Pesos = 10 Doblones type. No additional specimens are known in private collections, institutional holdings, or grading census records. The note is unlisted in Pick and absent from all major published catalogues, reflecting its survival outside the normal catalogued population rather than any provisional or trial status.
This specimen stands as a singular documentary witness to Uruguay’s most explicit gold-standard experiment in paper form. It occupies a reference position not only within Uruguayan numismatics, but within the broader study of nineteenth-century Latin American monetary policy, where few surviving instruments state gold equivalence with such precision. Its uniqueness, early serial placement, and archival character place it firmly in the highest rarity tier.