A few years back, as part of a National Coin Week event, I put together an exhibit of coins and bank notes that included a depiction of an allegorical
Liberty. One of the pieces I included in the display was this 1954 Un Peso note from Columbia. It is from a series of notes issued with the same design between 1929 and 1954; the Bank of the Republic of Columbia was formed in July 1923.
On its front, the note is quite colorful. A dark blue ink is used for the border and primary devices with a multi-color underprint featuring scroll work using orange, green, purple, light blue and gold. At left is a three-quarter, left-facing portrait of General Francisco de Paula Santander who fought under Simon Bolivar for the independence of the United Provinces of New Granada (later Columbia).
Santander served as the Vice President of New Granada from 1821 to 1828, but then had to leave the country - under the terms of his pardon - after he was accused of plotting to assassinate Bolivar and jailed. Bolivar had been leading the country as President, but declared himself Dictator in 1828. Bolivar died in 1830, which paved the way for Santander to return. He did, and served as president of the Republic of the New Granada (later Columbia) from 1833 to 1837. He then served in the country's Senate until his death in 1840.
To the right of Santander is seen a standing allegorical male figure that represents the country's agricultural strength; the figure holds wheat stalks as he leans on a farmer's pitchfork and rests his right foot on a large squash. On the note's far right is found a left-facing profile portrait of Simon Bolivar, the leader of New Granada's/Columbia's independence fight.
The inscriptions on the note translate as follows:
- EL BANCO DE LA REPUBLICA = THE BANK OF THE REPUBLIC
- PAGARA AL PORTADOR = WILL PAY THE BEARER
- UN PESO ORO = ONE PESO
- BOGOTA, COLOMBIA = BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
- 1 DE ENERO DE 1954 = 1 JANUARY 1954
- GERENTE = MANAGER
- SECRETARIO = SECRETARY
The back of the note is monochromatic - blue. It features intricate scroll work throughout with the denomination indicated via a "1" in 50 places and printed as "UN Peso" in one. At the center is an allegorical, left-facing portrait of
Liberty - she is wearing a phrygian cap adorned with "LIBERTAD" (Liberty).
The note was printed by the American Bank Note Company (ABNCO) in the United States; printed at the bottom on each side of the note..
For more of my topics on commemorative coins, medals, ephemera and currency, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 11/18/2022 7:05 pm
