Bolivia 1904 - Banco Nacional 5 Bolivianos (Specimen)
Specimen of the 1904 Banco Nacional de Bolivia 5 Bolivianos, engraved and printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. (BWC) in London. The note bears the date SUCRE, 1 de Enero de 1904, and features the portrait of Simón Bolívar at center-an enduring symbol of republican legitimacy. The engraving itself traces back to a mid-19th-century French lithograph of Bolívar that was reused and refined by BWC for several Latin American issues, earning it the nickname 'the export Bolívar.' Surrounding design elements include elaborate guilloché frames, floral counters, and a small vignette of Potosí’s Cerro Rico, underscoring the country’s reliance on silver mining wealth. Read more →