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500 Pesos
| Issuer | Banco Occidental |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 500 Pesos |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Printed in olive-green and black, the obverse carries two principal vignettes: at left, two allegorical female figures are seated together, one holding a tablet and the other gesturing outward, while at right a harbour scene renders sailing vessels, a steamship, and a mountainous coastal backdrop in fine intaglio line work. The issuer name 'EL BANCO OCCIDENTAL' and place of issue 'SANTA ANA' appear in the body of the note, with the republic title 'REPUBLICA DE SALVADOR' across the top and the payment clause 'PAGARA A LA VISTA AL PORTADOR' below. The denomination is expressed both as '500' in the upper-right cartouche and lower panel numerals, and in full as 'QUINIENTOS PESOS' in bold letterpress at the bottom, with the American Bank Note Co. imprint beneath. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Printed entirely in blue, the reverse is centred on a large circular medallion carrying the Salvadoran coat of arms within a legend reading 'BANCO OCCIDENTAL / EL SALVADOR', flanked symmetrically on both sides by elaborate guilloche panels in which the numeral '500' appears in bold relief. The entire field is covered with engine-turned latticework and repeating rosette patterns forming the security underprint, and the American Bank Note Company, New York imprint is placed at the bottom centre. |
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| Comments |
Banco Occidental was one of several Colombian regional banks granted note-issuing authority under the 1880s free banking legislation, operating primarily out of Cali and serving the Cauca Valley trade networks. The American Bank Note Company's involvement was typical for the higher denominations issued by these institutions — the prestige of a New York engraver carried weight with merchant creditors even if the bank's reserves did not always match its paper.
At 500 Pesos, this was not a note that circulated through ordinary commerce. Denominations of this scale moved between merchants, landowners, and the bank itself. Colombia's free banking period collapsed in 1894 when the Banco Nacional reasserted monopoly control, and most regional bank notes were called in — survival rates for high-denomination issues are accordingly low.