Description and research notes
This specimen represents the five hundred pesos denomination of the Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay issued under the monetary law of 2 January 1939, belonging to the Serie D printing of the interwar emission. Produced by Thomas De La Rue and Company of London, the note was prepared as official non-circulating reference material for institutional control, archival retention, and regulated distribution.
In 1939 the Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay stood as the core institution of the national monetary system, combining central banking authority with commercial operations and regulatory oversight. Within the denomination structure of the series, the five hundred pesos occupied a high-value tier intended for treasury accounting and substantial commercial settlement. Specimen examples document the administrative and production controls behind that system rather than its circulation history.
The obverse presents the formal engraved composition typical of De La Rue’s late interwar intaglio work. Republica ORIENTAL DEL URUGUAY dominates the upper register, with QUINIENTOS PESOS integrated into an architectural cartouche beneath. The industrial allegorical portrait at right is modeled in dense linear engraving, reflecting themes of production and national development. This example is identified as Serie D and carries a controlled all-zero serial format with prefix D. The lower margin reads SPECIMEN No. 12, confirming its assigned position within the documented specimen preparation of the denomination.
Cancellation follows the printed layered control protocol. A bold diagonal red SPECIMEN overprint crosses both obverse and reverse surfaces. Two red oval printer control stamps reading SPECIMEN DE LA RUE – CANCELLED are applied on the obverse and repeated on the reverse. Unlike certain Serie A institutional variants that relied on perforation or alternative cancellation formats, this Serie D example employs the full printed overprint system across both sides, permanently invalidating the note while preserving complete visibility of the engraved design.
The reverse displays the agricultural allegorical scene associated with the five hundred pesos type: harvest laborers, livestock, and a rural-industrial landscape rendered in detailed linework. The composition balances pastoral imagery with architectural structure, reinforcing themes of productivity and national continuity. The diagonal SPECIMEN overprint and oval cancellation stamp on the reverse confirm the note’s institutional reference status rather than provisional or proof character.
As a Serie D specimen numbered 12, this example documents a specific controlled position within the 1939 production hierarchy. It stands as material evidence of Uruguay’s structured specimen management practices and of Thomas De La Rue’s standardized cancellation methods for high-denomination institutional reference notes during the late interwar period.