Description and research notes
A photographic proof pair for the 1939 100 Pesos issue produced by the American Bank Note Company for the Departamento de Emisión del Banco de la República Oriental del Uruguay. This was the highest denomination of the unified 1939 national series, following the 1935 monetary reform that centralized note issue under a single authority.
The obverse features an allegorical female figure representing the Republic, framed by classical columns and radiant engraving with the national arms below. The reverse depicts Montevideo’s Palacio Legislativo, rendered in precise architectural perspective to convey civic order and national pride. Both sides reflect ABNC’s late-1930s approach—balanced geometry, deep tonal contrast, and reduced ornamental density.
Mounted on its original card and graded PCGS 63 Choice New, this proof pair illustrates the final pre-war evolution of Uruguay’s banknote design, merging patriotic architecture with the technical discipline of modern intaglio engraving.