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Permanent identifier: NF.colombia.banco-de-la-republica-5-pesos-plata-1941

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Silver Certificate · Bogotá, Colombia · 1941

Five Silver Pesos

The Bank of the Republic · Portrait of Simón Bolívar

Obverse (top) and reverse (bottom) — Notofilia.com Collection
Issuing Entity The Bank of the Republic, Bogotá, Colombia
Denomination Five Silver Pesos
Date of Issue January 1, 1941
Obverse Blue-green over an engraved background. Portrait of Simón Bolívar in military uniform at left, with the inscription “CERTIFICADO DE PLATA · CINCO PESOS PLATA · CAMBIABLE EN EL BANCO DE LA REPÚBLICA POR IGUAL VALOR EN MONEDAS LEGALES DE PLATA”. Double red numbering and “5” numerals in all four corners, with the signatures of the Manager and Secretary. Printed by American Bank Note Company.
Reverse Engraved blue and gray tones. Central oval with an allegorical female bust of Colombia and the inscription “BANCO DE LA REPÚBLICA · BOGOTÁ COLOMBIA · CERTIFICADO DE PLATA”, flanked by large “5” numerals and symmetrical guilloches. Printed by American Bank Note Company.
Dimensions Larger classic format, approx. 155 × 75mm
Printer American Bank Note Company
Condition From regular to uncirculated gem. Characteristic cancellation perforation (two visible perforations), excellent quality paper, intense colors and sharp engraving.
Rarity Specimens with zero numbering and cancellation perforations are rare and highly prized for their archival status.
Catalog Reference Pick #385 / P-388s (variety); Silver Certificate series, 1933–1942

The Silver Certificate

Metal backing:The Silver Certificates issued by Banco de la República between 1933 and the beginning of the 1940s were exchangeable for their equivalent in legal silver currency, as expressly indicated by the legend on the obverse. This mechanism reflected the Colombian monetary policy of the time, supported by metallic reserves to support paper money in circulation.

Simón Bolívar on the banknote:The portrait of the Liberator, present in numerous Colombian issues since the 19th century, highlights the symbolic continuity between early republican iconography and the paper money of centralized banking in the 20th century.

American Bank Note Company

The American firm American Bank Note Company, one of the most prestigious security printers in the world, produced this issue with the detailed intaglio engraving and intricate guilloches characteristic of its work for Latin American central banks during the first half of the 20th century.

Sources

How to cite this record

Notofilia. “Five Silver Pesos”. Virtual Collection (NF.colombia.banco-de-la-republica-5-pesos-plata-1941). https://notofilia.com/en/collection/colombia/banco-de-la-republica-5-pesos-plata-1941/ (accessed 2026-08-29).

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