{"product_id":"argentina-p326-50-australes-1986-1989-unc-r0303","title":"Argentina P326 50 Australes 1986-1989 XF—Series A—Mitre—R0202","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe 50 Australes captures Argentina's brief, turbulent experiment with a currency born of hyperinflationary desperation — featuring the nation's most consequential 19th-century statesman on a note that itself became worthless within a decade of issue.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e pale lavender-purple background; violet-purple dominant engraving; dark green and brown-purple security guilloche elements at right; pink-red accents in denomination numeral\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003ePortrait of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bartolom%C3%A9_Mitre\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBartolomé Mitre\u003c\/a\u003e — Argentine statesman, soldier, and author; President of Argentina 1862–1868\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eLarge stylized \"A\" (Austral symbol) and \"50\" guilloche watermark panel at left\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eGeometric security elements: interlocking diamond and leaf-form guilloche patterns in dark green and purple at right\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eSerial number: prefix letter + 8 digits + suffix letter (e.g., 64.559.951 A)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eInscription: \u003cem\u003eBANCO CENTRAL DE LA REPUBLICA ARGENTINA \/ Cincuenta Australes \/ Bartolomé Mitre\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures (by variety):\u003c\/strong\u003e\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003ea (ND 1986): German R. Pampillo (Deputy General Manager) \u0026amp; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.bcra.gob.ar\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJuan J. A. Concepción\u003c\/a\u003e (President)\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eb.1 (ND 1986–1987): Julío Alberto Piekarz (General Manager) \u0026amp; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.bcra.gob.ar\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJuan J. A. Concepción\u003c\/a\u003e (President)\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eb.2 (ND 1988–1989): Elias Salama (General Manager) \u0026amp; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jos%C3%A9_Luis_Machinea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJosé Luis Machinea\u003c\/a\u003e (President)\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eb.3 (ND 1989): Rene E. De Paul (General Manager) \u0026amp; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Javier_Gonz%C3%A1lez_Fraga\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJavier González Fraga\u003c\/a\u003e (President)\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e pale blue-green teal background with fine-line guilloche; dark grey-black dominant engraving of Liberty figure; multicolor teal, pink, and orange rosette emblem at lower right; dark teal \"50\" numeral\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eAllegorical figure of Liberty (Progreso) with torch raised in right hand and shield at left, seated on a plinth\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eElaborate fan-shaped guilloche radiating behind the figure\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eMulticolor lotus\/rosette emblem (national cockade motif) at lower right\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eInscription: \u003cem\u003eREPUBLICA ARGENTINA \/ Cincuenta Australes\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVarieties:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003ea — ND (1986), sig. GRP\/JJAC, Serie A\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003ea-r — ND (1986), Replacement, Prefix R suffix A\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eb.1 — ND (1986–1987), sig. JAP\/JJAC, Serie A\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eb.2 — ND (1988–1989), sig. ES\/JLM, Serie A — this note\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eb.2r — ND (1988–1989), Replacement, Prefix R suffix A\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eb.3 — ND (1989), sig. REDP\/JGF, Serie A\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e P-326b.2; Numista \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/numista.com\/203808\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eN#203808\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark:\u003c\/strong\u003e Multiple sunbursts\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 155 × 65 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e Central Bank of the Argentine Republic (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Central_Bank_of_Argentina\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBanco Central de la República Argentina\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrinter:\u003c\/strong\u003e Casa de Moneda, Argentina\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDemonetized:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e1 March 1992\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Argentine_austral\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eArgentine Austral\u003c\/a\u003e (1985–1991)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Man on the Note: Bartolomé Mitre\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBartolomé Mitre\u003c\/strong\u003e is arguably the most consequential figure in Argentine nation-building. As president from 1862 to 1868, he unified the fractured Argentine Confederation under Buenos Aires, established the Supreme Court, and created the national army. He was also a prolific historian and journalist — founding the newspaper \u003cem\u003eLa Nación\u003c\/em\u003e in 1870, which still publishes today. His face on the 50 Australes is a reminder that Argentina's intellectual and political foundations were laid by men of genuine stature — even as the currency bearing his image collapsed into hyperinflationary oblivion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Austral: A Currency Born Desperate\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eArgentine Austral\u003c\/strong\u003e was introduced in June 1985 under President Raúl Alfonsín as part of the \"Austral Plan\" — a shock therapy attempt to halt inflation that had reached \u003cstrong\u003e688% annually\u003c\/strong\u003e. It worked briefly. Then it didn't. By 1989, inflation hit \u003cstrong\u003e3,079%\u003c\/strong\u003e. The Austral was quietly retired in 1992, replaced by the Convertibility Peso at a rate of 10,000 Australes to 1 Peso. This 50 Australes note — worth fractions of a US cent by the end — is a paper artifact of one of the most dramatic monetary collapses in modern history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eLiberty with a Torch\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reverse figure — \u003cstrong\u003eLiberty (Progreso)\u003c\/strong\u003e, seated with torch and shield — is a classical allegory that appears across Argentine currency going back to the 19th century. The torch represents enlightenment and progress; the shield, national sovereignty. The irony of a \"progress\" allegory on a note destroyed by hyperinflation is not lost on collectors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Argentina\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e From Latin \u003cem\u003eargentum\u003c\/em\u003e (silver) — a reference to the silver-rich Río de la Plata basin that drew Spanish colonizers\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Buenos_Aires\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBuenos Aires\u003c\/a\u003e (city pop. ~3.1 million; metro pop. ~15.5 million)\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Spanish for \"fair winds\" (\u003cem\u003ebuenos aires\u003c\/em\u003e) — named by 16th-century Spanish sailors\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~46 million (UN 2024) — roughly Texas and California combined\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2,780,400 km² (1,073,500 mi²) — comparable to India, or roughly the size of the contiguous US minus the eastern seaboard\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e):\u003c\/strong\u003e ~$26,000 (IMF 2024)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e Soybeans and soy products, corn, wheat, beef, lithium, petroleum\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e Chile (west), Bolivia and Paraguay (north), Brazil and Uruguay (northeast); Atlantic Ocean (east)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken language:\u003c\/strong\u003e Spanish (~100%)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/European_Argentines\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEuropean Argentines\u003c\/a\u003e (~97%, predominantly Italian and Spanish descent); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Indigenous_peoples_in_Argentina\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eIndigenous peoples\u003c\/a\u003e (~3%)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUN\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1945); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Organization_of_American_States\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eOAS\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1948); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mercosur\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMercosur\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1991); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/G20\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eG20\u003c\/a\u003e (member); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/World_Trade_Organization\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eWTO\u003c\/a\u003e (1995)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003ePre-colonial: Diverse indigenous peoples including the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mapuche\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMapuche\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Guarani_people\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGuaraní\u003c\/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Quechua_people\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eQuechua\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eSpanish colonization (1516–1816) — Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata established 1776\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eIndependence declared 9 July 1816\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eFederal Republic established 1861 — this note issued during this period\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eArgentina Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eArgentina has experienced \u003cstrong\u003eeight sovereign debt defaults\u003c\/strong\u003e — more than any other country in history — including defaults in 2001, 2014, and 2020.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eAustral currency on this note\u003c\/strong\u003e was introduced in 1985 to replace the Peso Argentino at 1,000:1 — and was itself replaced by the Peso in 1992 at 10,000:1. In other words, one 1992 Peso = 10,000,000 pre-1985 Pesos.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eArgentina has the \u003cstrong\u003ehighest number of psychologists per capita\u003c\/strong\u003e in the world — roughly 220 per 100,000 people, more than double the US rate.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe country has \u003cstrong\u003ewon the FIFA World Cup three times\u003c\/strong\u003e (1978, 1986, 2022) and produced Lionel Messi, widely considered the greatest footballer of all time.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eArgentina's \u003cstrong\u003ePatagonia region\u003c\/strong\u003e contains some of the world's largest untapped lithium reserves, making it a critical player in the global EV battery supply chain.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eIguazú Falls\u003c\/strong\u003e on the Argentine-Brazilian border are wider than Niagara and taller than Victoria Falls — Eleanor Roosevelt reportedly said upon seeing them: \"Poor Niagara.\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOwn this 50 Australes and hold a tangible piece of Argentina's most turbulent monetary chapter — a note that passed through the hands of ordinary Argentines during one of the worst economic crises of the 20th century, now preserved in collectible condition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52437999583543,"sku":"AR326aXF","price":0.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/326o.jpg?v=1781098509","url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/products\/argentina-p326-50-australes-1986-1989-unc-r0303","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}