Paraguay 1856 - Tesoro Nacional 2 Reales Treasury Note, Earliest National Paper Money (Pick Unlisted, Miguel Pratt MC14)
The signatures of Matias Reina and Santiago Ozcariz place this note firmly within the earliest Treasury operation. Their handwritten authority, together with the individually entered serial details, gives the piece the character of a manually controlled government obligation rather than a standardized later issue. The compact setting of the phrase al portador, the open character of the lettering, the uneven impression, and the broad handwritten style separate this first-issue note from the later 1862 to 1865 wartime restrikes and re-lithographed types. Read more →