El Banco Nacional

Key Details Visible on the Banknote

• Obverse, left oval:Coat of arms of the Republic of Colombia, with the Andean condor on the grenade quarter, Phrygian cap and cornucopias, within an engraved oval frame.
• Header:“Banco Nacional de la República de Colombia, Série K”, with the text “Will pay the bearer on demand Ten Centavos” and the legend “Bogotá, January 2, 1893”.
• “SPECIMEN” overprint:large diagonal legend in red ink that crosses the center of the note, a standard American Bank Note Co. mark for printing samples delivered to the client before final issuance.
• Numbering and signatures:“N.° 00000” in red ink —zeros of an unissued copy—, under the facsimile signature of “The Managing Director” and, below, those of the “Vocals of the Issuance Board”.
• Imprint:“American Bank Note Co., New York” printed on the base of the obverse, and identification “TEN” on the left vertical margin.
• Reverse:guilloché in green ink with a large calligraphic figure “10” on the left, the signature of “The Cashier” in the center, and the hexagonal label “Un Real” on the right edge —referencing the ancient equivalent colonial unit. A red circular cancellation seal, typical of specimen notes, is superimposed on the right end. At the bottom, “American Bank Note Company, New York”.

Key Details Visible on the Banknote

• Left vignette:Coat of arms of the Republic of Colombia with the Andean condor holding an olive wreath, framed in a profusely decorated engraved oval.
• Header:“Banco Nacional de la República de Colombia” and the text “will pay the bearer at sight Ten Cents”, with the serial numbering stamped in bright red ink on the right flank.
• Signatures:“The Managing Director”, with those of the “Vocals of the Issuance Board” below.
• Reverse:large geometric figure “10” on the left wing and a red circular Treasury seal with the legend “Banco Nacional de Colombia” on the right; the right border indicates the conversion value “A Real”.
• Intaglio engraving:executed by American Bank Note Company on steel plate, with pronounced ink relief as a tactile defense against duplication.
• Color:obverse in black ink over light tan security subprint; reverse in green ink.

Key Details Visible on the Banknote

• Left circular vignette:Coat of arms of Colombia with an Andean condor with open wings, framed in a stylized oval.
• Header:bold “El Banco Nacional de Colombia” lettering, with a large numeral “10” in a pillar design at right; the six-digit serial number is stamped in red ink.
• Signatures:Felipe F. Paul, “Managing Director”, together with directors Juan M. Gigante and Simón J. Herrera.
• Reverse:interwoven braided-ribbon and lattice pattern in dark green ink, with the inscription “Un Real” on both edges and a red circular Treasury seal overprinted at center, above gray background microtext.
• Microprinting:rows of tiny text “BANCONACIONALDECOLOMBIA” repeated continuously in the central field of the reverse, as a barrier against primitive photographic reproduction.
• Color:obverse in black ink on light green security subprint; reverse in dark green.

Historical and Issue Context

Paper used to replace coinage:This fractional 10-cent note responds to the absolute scarcity of silver and nickel coins —hoarded or hidden by the population— that accompanied the outbreak and massive devaluation of the Thousand Days' War, within the same wave of emergency issuance of the Litografía Nacional described for the One Peso and Five Peso banknotes of this catalog entry.

Key Details Visible on the Banknote

• Obverse:circular medallion in the upper left corner with the Coat of Arms of Colombia, in simplified lithographic stroke; issue text “THE NATIONAL BANK OF THE REPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA will pay the bearer on demand TEN CENTS in current currency”, with the word “DIEZ” in oversized block font in the lower left corner.
• Reverse:large ornamental cartouche and geometric rosette in red ink that encloses the openwork numeral “10”; in the upper right corner, a circular validation tax stamp in dark blue ink with Treasury control inscriptions.
• Bichromatic security background:layering of blue base inks with red typographic blocks as a barrier against the era's rudimentary photomechanical copying.
• Mechanical numbering:serial number “408484” stamped with impact numbering machine in high visibility red ink.
• Color:dark-blue ink on the obverse with carmine-red details; monochrome reverse in bright-red ink with a blue control seal.

Key Details Visible on the Banknote

• Left oval portrait:head of a large breed dog, with dark fur and floppy ears, framed in an engraved oval —an unusual iconographic choice among Colombian bank notes of the period.
• Right vignette:portrait of an allegorical woman wearing a headdress and holding a scepter or staff, characteristic of the era's classical banknote iconography.
• Header:“El Banco Nacional de la República de Colombia”, with the institution’s red circular seal and the text “Will pay the bearer on demand Twenty-Five Pesos in current currency”.
• Date and signatures:“Bogotá, March 4, 1895”, with the signature of “The Managing Director” and, below, those of the “Vocals of the Board of Issue”.
• Numbering:“N.° 170390” in red ink, repeated in both upper corners, next to the indication “Serie 1.ª”.
• Reverse:guilloché in sepia ink with the legend “El Banco Nacional de la República de Colombia” on the upper band, a large central star-shaped medallion with the figure “25”, the word “Twenty-five Pesos” in the center, and the signature of “The Cashier” in the lower strip, flanked by decorative rosettes in the four corners.

Historical and Issue Context

The uncontrolled wartime issue:When the Thousand Days War began in October 1899, President Manuel Antonio Sanclemente and Vice President José Manuel Marroquín authorized increasing the issues of the National Bank and abandoning the convertibility of paper money into metallic species.⁴In the three and a half years between October 1899 and mid-1903, the means of payment in circulation multiplied almost 21 times, raising inflation to more than 100% annually, with a peak of 389% in 1901.⁵

Aristides Fernández:The signature on this bill corresponds to Arístides Fernández, who as Minister of War during the conflict became infamous for the harsh repression of liberal prisoners, including the poet Julio Flórez.⁶

Key Details Visible on the Banknote

• Left vignette:traditional scene of a peasant on horseback guiding cattle, an unusual rural motif on National Bank notes.
• Upper-right rosette:large decorative rosette that frames the stylized numeral “1”, along with a circular gray/blue ink stamp from the National Fund.
• Main text:“THE NATIONAL BANK OF THE REPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA will pay to the bearer ONE PESO in current currency”.
• Reverse:interlocking circular borders surrounding a central medallion with rays of light framing the number “1” with floral details, flanked by “ONE” on the sides; at the bottom, “Litografía Nacional — Bogotá”.
• Numbering:serial number “62982” stamped with mechanical date in carmine ink, on a protective background of pale pink lines on the obverse.
• Color:black ink over a pale pink/red security background on the obverse; gray or sepia reverse.

Historical and Issue Context

A tribute to Santander in the middle of the war:The obverse portrays General Francisco de Paula Santander (1792–1840), hero of independence and former president of the Republic of New Granada, known as “the Man of the Laws”.

Another variant of the same emergency issue:Like the Series P copy of this token, this banknote corresponds to the accelerated issuance of the National Lithography to sustain the monetary flow during the Thousand Day War, in the context of hyperinflation described above.^4,5

Key Details Visible on the Banknote

• Left medallion:circular portrait of General Francisco de Paula Santander.
• Right rosette:large decorative rosette with the stylized numeral “1” and the word “UNO” at the top.
• Main text:“THE NATIONAL BANK OF THE REPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA will pay to the bearer ONE PESO in current currency”.
• Reverse:coat of arms of the Republic of Colombia with the Andean condor and the motto “Liberty and Order”, centered in an oval with rays of light; On the right, a striking bright red textured circular stamp. The four corners show ornamental cartouches with the number “1”.
• Numbering:serial number “130634” stamped with mechanical numbering press in carmine ink.
• Color:black ink over a pink/red security background on the obverse; gray or sepia reverse with a vivid-red validation seal.

Historical and Issue Context

Another name for the same monetary emergency:Issued just weeks before the Series P One Peso note in this catalog entry, this 5-peso specimen belongs to the same wave of accelerated issues from the Litografía Nacional that drove Colombian inflation above 100% annually between 1900 and 1903, peaking at 389% in 1901.^4,5

Key Details Visible on the Banknote

• Core composition:coat of arms of Colombia guarded by the Andean condor and flanked by two seated female allegorical figures.
• Main text:“THE NATIONAL BANK OF THE REPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA will pay the bearer FIVE PESOS in current currency”, with numerals “5” decorative in the corners and margins.
• Reverse:dense background of geometric fans in green ink, with a large circular rosette on the left with the inscription “CINCO PESOS / 5”, a panel with the name of the bank on the right, and a circular fiscal seal in purple/red ink over the printed signature of “El Cajero”.
• Numbering:serial number “49534” stamped on the left end by impact numbering press in carmine ink.
• Color:black ink over a light brown/ocher security background on the obverse; dark-green reverse with an opaque purple/red circular seal.

Historical and Issue Context

The same fiscal emergency, in a larger denomination:This 10 peso bill, signed by Arístides Fernández along with other members of the Issuance Board, is part of the same wave of bills accelerated by the Litografía Nacional of Bogotá to sustain the enormous fiscal and military expenditure of the Thousand Days' War (1899–1902), in the context of hyperinflation described in the other denominations of this sheet.

Key Details Visible on the Banknote

• Obverse:central oval medallion with the Coat of Arms of Colombia crowned by the Andean condor; On the left, a traditional vignette of peasants and farmers working the land.
• Reverse:symmetrical pattern of lace-style borders in blue ink, with the issuer's name in a central oval flanking the large openwork numeral “10”; lower panel for the signature of “El Cajero”.
• Tax stamps:purple/carmine liquid-ink seals applied by hand to both sides to certify the batch of notes before circulation.
• Anti-cloning background matrix:network of concentric brown lines beneath the black obverse engraving, designed to distort photomechanical reproduction.
• Numbering:serial number “204252” stamped with mechanical impact numerator in carmine ink.
• Color:black ink over a brown and ocher security background on the obverse; monochrome blue-gray reverse.

Key Details Visible on the Banknote

• Obverse:large oval ornamental medallion in the upper left corner with the denomination “TWENTY CENTS” flanking the numeral “20”; Below, a small circle with the Coat of Arms of Colombia.
• Reverse:large central oval with the Coat of Arms of Colombia crowned by the Andean condor with open wings, flanked by two circular medallions with the numeral “20”; red circular tax stamp in the lower right corner.
• Tax countermark:circular wet stamp in bright red ink on the reverse, as mandatory authentication before circulation.
• Numbering:serial number “49941” mechanically stamped in dense black ink on the lower right area of the reverse.
• Color:black ink over an ocher security background on the obverse; monochrome reverse in purple/violet ink.

Key Details Visible on the Banknote

• Obverse:central oval medallion with the Coat of Arms of Colombia; on the left, a circular cartridge with the numeral “20” over “PESOS”; On the right, a vignette of a muleteer with a traditional hat next to his cargo.
• Reverse:elaborate composition of lace and filigree in brown ink; In the center, a large circular medallion with a traditional vignette of cattle in a rural landscape, flanked by two medallions with the number “20”.
• Tax countermark:circular wet stamp in red/carmine ink in the center of the obverse, for accounting validation of the issuing board.
• Numbering:serial number “603240” stamped in dense red ink on the upper right corner of the obverse.
• Color:black ink over an ocher and greenish background on the obverse; monochrome reverse in reddish-brown ink.

Key Details Visible on the Banknote

• Obverse:central oval medallion with the Coat of Arms of Colombia; On the left, a vignette of a woman sitting spinning; to the right, an oval with the portrait of General Francisco de Paula Santander; large legends superimposed in red “FIFTY PESOS”.
• Reverse:rectangular frame of lace and filigree in red ink, with two large identical circular medallions with the openwork numeral “50”; circular tax stamp in carmine ink next to the space for the signature of “The Cashier”.
• Red security text:large typographic blocks overprinted in carmine red on the dark blue matrix of the obverse, as a measure against falsification by artisanal clichés.
• Numbering:serial number “42986” stamped with impact numerator in carmine ink on the left side of the obverse.
• Color:dark-blue ink with red details on the obverse; monochrome reverse in red/carmine ink.