The Bank of the Republic
Ten Pesos Gold, per year of issue
The Ten Pesos Gold bill carried for decades the portrait ofAntonio Nariño, the Precursor of independence, with two successive designs: one printed by the American Bank Note Company until the early 1950s, and another — with Nariño next to the figure of Mercury and a scene of river steam— printed by Thomas De La Rue from 1953 to 1961. This page lists the copies of the collection in chronological order.
Common Design
Obverse:portrait ofAntonio Nariño, hero of independence, with the legend “THE BANK OF THE REPUBLIC WILL PAY THE BEARER … TEN PESOS ORO”, together with the date of issue and the signatures of the Manager and Secretary.
The 1949 issue maintains the earliest design, with a portrait oval and an ornamental border; Starting in 1953, the design incorporates the figure of Mercury next to Nariño and a river steam scene with palm trees, printed by Thomas De La Rue.
Reverse:in the 1949 issue, a circular emblem of the Bank of the Republic on a green background with geometric motifs. Starting in 1953, the reverse is completely redesigned with a vignette of the Banco de la República building in Cali, flanked by large figures “10” and symmetrical guilloche rosettes.
Legacy for Collectors
Collecting the Diez Pesos Oro from different years makes it possible to trace, within a single series, the transition from the early postwar issue printed by American Bank Note Company to the Thomas De La Rue design that circulated for nearly a decade —a chapter of Colombian monetary history especially accessible to collectors.
Sources
- Pick, Albert.Standard Catalog of World Paper Money.
- Hernández, Pedro Pablo.Coins and Banknotes of Colombia.
- Restrepo, Jorge Emilio.Coins of Colombia.
- Heritage Auctions —ha.com(opens in a new tab)
- Numista —numista.com(opens in a new tab)
- Bank of the Republic —banrep.gov.co(opens in a new tab)