Description and research notes
This specimen represents the one hundred pesos denomination of the Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay issued under the monetary law of 2 January 1939 and printed by Thomas De La Rue and Company. The note itself is identified as SERIE C on the face, reflecting its specific position within the alphabetical progression of the 1939 issue rather than the generalized series grouping sometimes shown on certification labels.
The obverse carries a bold diagonal black SPECIMEN overprint applied across the central field, combined with two black oval control stamps reading SPECIMEN DE LA RUE & CO LTD NO VALUE, placed at the upper left and lower right. Cancellation is entirely ink-based. No perforated CANCELLED treatment and no punch cancellations are present. The serial format follows the controlled all-zero specimen convention with prefix C and number 000000, and the lower margin bears the printed designation SPECIMEN No. 11, identifying this example within the documented specimen numbering for the denomination.
The engraved composition preserves the full circulation design. At right appears the allegorical female figure holding the Constitution, symbolizing civic authority and legal continuity. The national coat of arms occupies the central rosette, while CIEN PESOS and MONEDA NACIONAL are integrated into a structured guilloche framework. Fine background elements incorporate architectural and industrial motifs consistent with Uruguay’s state-centered monetary imagery of the late interwar period.
The reverse displays the large historical civic scene engraved in deep red tones. A crowd gathers before a public building adorned with flags, forming a panoramic representation of republican identity and national ceremony. The diagonal black SPECIMEN overprint extends across the reverse, and an additional oval DE LA RUE control stamp appears at the lower right, confirming uniform printer-applied cancellation on both sides of the sheet.
As a black-overprint specimen of the 1939 one hundred pesos Serie C issue, this note documents the ink-based invalidation protocol used by Thomas De La Rue for controlled institutional reference material. It preserves full design clarity while permanently segregating the impression from monetary circulation.