Despots, Dictators, Revolutionaries & Rebels

-Who doesn't love a "freebie?" Great addition that seems extraordinarily timely these days "Scots."

Jose Maria Morelos 1765-1815
A Roman Catholic priest & revolutionary leader in the Mexican Independence movement.
He was excommunicated for being an insurgent against Spanish colonial rule & Morelos also fathered a number of children.
A National Hero of Mexico he was executed by firing squad in 1815 for treason.

There is a really nice series of 1970's Mexican banknotes with figures from the Mexican Revolution on them.
So along with 'La Corregidora' a few pages back on this thread topic, here is Morelos on this 1977 20 Pesos, the 'SUD' motif on the watermark area is also taken from an insurgent currency coin of the time.

Thanks jbuck ^^^

Gregorio Luperon 1839-1897

From humble beginnings on his parent's market stall selling homemade street snacks Luperon rose to become a military general, statesman & leader.
Early on Luperon was arrested for anti-Spanish activities, he'd escape & flee to the USA before returning to hide in the mountains.
He would eventually help lead a full scale revolution against the Spanish in the 1860's.
An airport, town, metro station in Dominican Republic and a High School in New York City are named in his honour.
He is on this rather beautiful Dominican Republic 20 Pesos polymer note from 2009.

The following 3 notes from Aurolzmuenster, all have a portrait head sketch of Anton, Count von Arco-Valley (identified as 'Graf Arco' on the notes), which date from 1920.
In 1919 he had murdered Kurt Eisner, the Minister President of the short-lived Bavarian Soviet Republic.

Nice addition to the thread topic @notgeldman
Thanks for posting that set.

King Sobhuza II of Swaziland (1899-1982)
A leading figure in Swaziland gaining Independence from Great Britain in 1968.
His country prospered under his rule, being rich in minerals and natural resources.
Sobhuza II's reign of 82 years & 254 days is said to be the longest in history, add in 70 wives, 210 children and approx 1000 grandchildren too.
A remarkable man, he skilfully managed to combine tribal custom alongside economic & social change within his kingdom which is still an Absolute Monarchy.
Here he is on a Swaziland 2 Emalangeni (1984) banknote.

Thanks jbuck

Lempira (? - 1537)
A chieftain of the Lenca indigenous people who resisted the Spanish Conquistadors' attempts to conquer the Lenca lands in Western Honduras.
Said to have commanded an army of around 30,000 Lenca from 200 villages, Lempira was eventually killed after being lured by the Spanish to attend talks, whereupon a hidden Spanish soldier shot him with a musket.
Lempira means "Lord of The Mountain", in 1931 Honduras renamed it's currency in his honour.
There are estimated to be around 100,000 Lenca in Honduras nowadays.
Here's the noble chief on a Honduras 1 Lempira (1992)