Paper Money

Argentina to begin issuing higher denomination notes

The Central Bank of Argentina announced on Jan. 15 that it will soon release an entirely new currency series. Beginning in mid-2016 it will issue its highest denomination notes ever, denominated 200 pesos and 500 pesos, and that next year a 1,000-peso note will be put into circulation, as well. In addition to the three new denominations, new designs of the 20-, 50- and 100-peso notes will also start circulating in 2017 alongside the current issues. 

The new notes will have as themes the native fauna of various regions of the country. Each of the bills will have on the face a mammal, bird or fish typical of an Argentine region, while the back will show scenery characteristic of the depicted creature’s habitat. The bank’s statement adds that the theme is meant to call attention to the country’s native bounty while simultaneously emphasizing the importance of preserving and promoting biodiversity. With the use of fauna and Argentina’s regions instead of traditional historical characters the Central Bank seems to be trying to depoliticize its money and make it more representative of the entire nation.

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This year, the 200-peso note will have a southern right whale native to the Argentine Sea, Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands and the 500-peso note will show a jaguar from the country’s northeast region. 

The 2017 1,000-peso note will have the national bird, a hornero. Native to South America, the hornero builds mud nests that look like the old wood fired ovens known as “horneros” in Spanish. 

The 100-peso note will have a taruca, or north Andean deer that is found in the country’s northwest region. The 50-peso issue will feature an Andean condor and the 20-peso note will have a guanco, a camelid native to the Patagonian steppe and the species thought to be the ancestor of the domestic llama.


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