Description and research notes
This Serie A one hundred pesos specimen of the Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay is identified as Specimen No. 13 and preserves a restrained printer-controlled reference format from the 1939 issue. Its administrative identity is established through the all-zero serial number, the printed specimen number at the lower margin, and a single black oval Thomas De La Rue control stamp placed on the face.
The one hundred pesos denomination occupied an important position within Uruguay's monetary structure. It was substantial enough for treasury transfers, institutional accounting, and major commercial payments, while remaining more practical than the five hundred and one thousand pesos values. A completed specimen of this denomination therefore documented a design expected to function across both official and high-level commercial environments.
The obverse is dominated by the title of the Republica Oriental del Uruguay, arranged above the central denomination CIEN PESOS and the statement MONEDA NACIONAL. The national arms occupy the center of the composition within a layered ornamental field, creating a direct visual association between the monetary value and the authority of the republic.
At right, a seated allegorical female figure holds the Constitution, presenting law as the foundation of monetary and civic order. Her classical form is joined with architectural and industrial details, linking republican legality with national development. The figure is rendered through finely controlled intaglio lines that create depth in the face, garments, book, and surrounding symbolic elements.
Serie A appears on both sides of the face, while the prefix A and paired zero serials preserve the formal appearance of the circulation numbering system. The printed designation SPECIMEN No. 13 gives the note an individual position within a controlled sequence prepared for institutional distribution, retention, or comparison.
The black oval SPECIMEN DE LA RUE CANCELLED stamp is applied as the principal control device. Its compact placement leaves the central coat of arms, denomination, allegorical figure, and most of the architectural framework open for examination. This treatment gives the specimen a particularly clear presentation of the finished obverse design while recording the authority of the printer responsible for its controlled status.
The reverse presents a panoramic historical scene of a public gathering before monumental architecture. Flags, assembled figures, and the formal civic setting transform the reverse into a visual narrative of collective national identity. The detailed crowd and architectural mass are enclosed by ornamental borders and repeated denomination devices, giving the scene the gravity of an official historical tableau.
Printed by Thomas De La Rue and Company Limited, this Specimen No. 13 preserves a distinctive Serie A control format centered on individual numbering and a localized printer stamp. It is a complete production-standard record of the one hundred pesos design and an important document of the measured administrative procedures applied to Uruguay's 1939 institutional reference currency.