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1/2 Peso Oro
| Issuer | Banco de la República |
|---|---|
| Year | 1935 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Peso (1/2 COP) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Intaglio-printed note with a central oval vignette of Francisco José de Caldas at left and a bust portrait of Simón Bolívar in military uniform at right, both rendered in fine engraving against an intricate guilloche underprint. The large denomination numeral '1/2' appears twice flanking the central vignette, with the issuing bank title across the top and 'MEDIO PESO ORO' in bold letterpress along the bottom. The date 'BOGOTA, COLOMBIA, 20 DE JULIO DE 1935' and two manuscript signatures appear in the lower portion of the note. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | EL BANCO DE LA REPÚBLICA PAGARÁ AL PORTADOR MEDIO PESO ORO (Translation: The Bank of the Republic will Pay to the Bearer Half a Peso Oro) |
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| Comments |
Colombia's Banco de la República issued this fractional peso oro denomination during a period when coin shortages made low-value paper necessary for everyday transactions. The half-peso format was never a comfortable fit for a public that preferred metal for small change, and the series had a short effective circulation life as a result.
The American Bank Note Company held the Colombian contract through much of this period, producing notes in New York before shipment south. ABNC's intaglio work on Colombian fractionals from the 1930s is generally finer than the denominations' humble face value might suggest.