Collection

Mexico 1884 – Fábrica de Tunal 1 Peso (Pick Unlisted, ABNC)

Context — Porfiriato industrial finance (1876–1911): In the 1880s, Mexico’s northern mining belt (Durango–Zacatecas–Coahuila) expanded under Porfirio Díaz’s pro-investment policies. Private companies routinely paid workers and contractors with bearer notes redeemable in silver on demand. These instruments sat between payroll scrip and banknotes: fully engraved, serialed, and legally payable al portador en moneda de plata, but issued by corporations rather than chartered banks. ... Read more →

Argentina 1876 — Banco de San Juan 1 Peso Fuerte (Specimen)

Specimen printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. for the Banco de San Juan during Argentina’s expansion of provincially chartered banks in the 1870s. The 1 Peso Fuerte design reflects the distinct artistic language of the early British engravers active in Latin America, with refined lathe-work borders and a central condor vignette symbolizing vigilance and freedom. ... Read more →

Argentina 1884 — El Banco del Chaco 1 Peso Moneda Nacional Oro (Serial 15849)

Issued provincial note from El Banco del Chaco, Villa Ocampo branch, dated 1 Octubre 1884, printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., London, under Argentina’s Ley de Bancos Garantidos system. Hand-signed, Series I, serial 15849. The allegorical female personifies Agriculture, flanked by a dog and bull symbolizing loyalty, vigilance, and strength. ... Read more →

Argentina 1884 — El Banco del Chaco 1 Peso Moneda Nacional Oro (Serial 05056, Fragmented Example)

Partial issued note of El Banco del Chaco’s 1 Peso Moneda Nacional Oro, dated 1 Octubre 1884 and printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., London, for the Villa Ocampo branch under the Ley de Bancos Garantidos provincial charter. The vignette centers on an allegory of Agriculture symbolizing prosperity and labor, flanked by a dog and bull for loyalty and strength—one of BWC’s finest small-format engravings for South America. Although the upper-right corner is missing, this early-serial piece (No. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1870 — República Oriental del Uruguay 1 Peso, Junta de Crédito Público (Signed Ruy / West, Serial 017385)

Earliest emission of the Junta de Crédito Público, dated 4 de Mayo de 1870, representing Uruguay’s first nationally guaranteed paper currency after the financial reform law of the same date. Printed locally in Montevideo by Litografía G. Mas & Cía., the note carries the denomination of 1 Peso, its face tinted green and engraved in fine local intaglio style. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1870 — República Oriental del Uruguay 1 Peso, Junta de Crédito Público (Illegible Signature Variant, Serial 710157)

Dated 4 de Mayo de 1870, this 1 Peso note represents the same first national issue of the Junta de Crédito Público but bearing a different handwritten signature type, executed by another board member whose autograph remains partially illegible due to cancellation and ink staining. The printing is identical to the 'Ruy / West' variety, featuring Mercury seated left, Uruguay’s arms top center, and the text 'Ley de 4 de Mayo de 1870'. The green paper stock and scalloped margin are characteristic of local lithography by G. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1896 — Banco de la República Oriental del Uruguay 1 Peso Black Photo Proof Pair (PCGS 62 New Face, PCGS 63 Choice New Back)

The 1 Peso photo-proof pair from the 1896 American Bank Note Company series captures the democratic face of Uruguay’s new monetary system. While higher denominations projected international prestige, the single-peso note was designed to circulate widely and embody trust among ordinary citizens—a key goal following decades of financial upheaval. These engraver’s photographic proofs, printed on sensitized paper and mounted to card, were produced in New York as pre-production approvals. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1935 — Departamento de Emisión del Banco de la República Oriental del Uruguay 1 Peso Photo Proof Pair (PCGS 64 Very Choice New)

A complete photographic proof pair for the 1935 1 Peso issue produced by the American Bank Note Company for the Departamento de Emisión del Banco de la República Oriental del Uruguay. This series marked Uruguay’s transition from the private-bank era to a unified national currency design following the monetary reorganization of 1933–1934. The obverse presents José Gervasio Artigas at lower left within a crisply geometric intaglio frame, accompanied above by an allegorical female figure representing the Republic—an inter-war reinterpretation of classical liberty iconography. ... Read more →