2 Pesos

El Salvador's paper currency in the 1870s was issued not by a central bank but directly by the republic itself, a reflection of how thin the country's formal banking infrastructure was at the time. The National Bank Note Company — best known for producing early U.S. federal currency during the Civil War years — had ceased independent operations by 1879 when it merged into the American Bank Note Company, meaning this 1877 Salvador contract was among the firm's final years of activity.

Three manuscript signatures were required for validation, an unusual requirement suggesting the republic was hedging against fraud in the absence of strong institutional controls.