5 centavos 1882

Common. While the eBay price tracking shows variable pricing for this note across condition grades (ranging from $64.50 to $1996.00 USD), this reflects normal market volatility and collector preference for higher grades rather than inherent scarcity. The note was issued by an established bank using a major security printer with what appears to be a standard production run (serial number 111464 indicates multiple notes produced). No evidence of a short print run, recall, or limited issuance exists. VF examples in this catalog are typically priced in the $599-$800 range, consistent with moderately-collected but not genuinely scarce 19th-century Paraguayan notes.

Issued on January 1st, 1882, this banknote was produced under the authority of the Banco del Paraguay following the Law of October 31, 1882, representing Paraguay's post-war economic recovery during the 1880s. The denomination 'CINCO CENTAVOS FUERTES' (Five Strong Centavos) and the promise to pay in 'gold or sealed silver coins of legal tender' reflects Paraguay's commitment to commodity-backed currency in the late 19th century. The employment of the American Bank Note Company (ABNC) of New York demonstrates the international standards applied to Paraguayan currency during this period of national reorganization.

This uniface banknote displays the obverse only, featuring a formal engraved portrait of a bearded gentleman in left-facing profile positioned in the right portion of the note. The design incorporates classical numismatic elements including ornamental corner vignettes with scrollwork and geometric patterns, circular seals or emblems in the upper corners, and decorative borders framing the entire composition. The denomination is indicated by asterisks or star symbols flanking the numeral '5'. The printing utilizes a cream/beige paper stock with black primary printing and red accent printing, typical of late 19th-century ABNC security printing. The fine-line engraving throughout provides the security characteristic of the period.

FRONT SIDE: 'Banco Nacional del Paraguay' (National Bank of Paraguay) / 'ASUNCION' (city of issue) / '1ro de Enero de 1882' (1st of January 1882) / 'CINCO CENTAVOS FUERTES' (Five Strong Centavos) / 'pagará al portador en monedas de oro ó plata sellada de curso legal' (will pay to the bearer in gold or sealed silver coins of legal tender) / 'SEGUN LEY DE 31 DE OCTUBRE DE 1882' (According to Law of October 31, 1882) / 'INSPECTOR' (Inspector signature line) / 'DIRECTOR' (Director signature line) / 'AMERICAN BANK NOTE CO. N.Y.' (American Bank Note Company, New York) / Serial number: '111464' / BACK SIDE: Blank/Uniface (no inscriptions observed).

Steel plate engraving with intaglio printing in two colors (black and red). The note was produced by the American Bank Note Company (ABNC) of New York, one of the premier security printers of the era. The fine line engraving visible in the portrait, borders, and decorative elements, combined with the color separation technique, exemplifies the anti-counterfeiting standards of 1880s currency production.

PMG catalogues one variant for Pick S121. The observed note carries serial number 111464 and shows the standard 1882 issue date of January 1st. No overprints, color variations, or signature varieties are evident from the visual analysis. This appears to be the base variety with no known sub-types requiring additional cataloging notation.