Description and research notes
A sepia-toned photographic proof pair for the 10 Pesos issue dated 1896, produced by the American Bank Note Company for the Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay. Printed on photographic paper and mounted on cardstock, this pair records the approved face and back engravings in a tonal variant distinct from the black photographic proofs of the same design.
The obverse features a formal engraved portrait medallion within an ornate late-nineteenth-century framework of scrollwork, floral ornament, and dense guilloche patterns. The denomination is integrated into a balanced cartouche arrangement, emphasizing symmetry and legibility consistent with American Bank Note Company practice of the period.
The reverse presents a monumental architectural view framed by classical ornament, with the national arms incorporated into the composition. Fine cross-hatching and controlled tonal transitions translate the engraved design effectively into sepia photographic form while preserving detail across the broad pictorial field.
These sepia photographic proofs were created as archival records of the finalized engraving rather than as circulation material. Preserved as a complete face-and-back ensemble and previously mounted on cardstock, the pair documents a presentation-stage photographic variant of Uruguay’s 1896 ten pesos design.
Certified by Professional Coin Grading Service Currency as Choice New 63 for both face and back, this proof pair survives in exceptional condition and represents a rare institutional artifact of American Bank Note Company production for Uruguay at the close of the nineteenth century.