Chile P-161n POLYMER 1000 Pesos 2025 UNC—Carrera Pinto—Torres del Paine

A crisp Uncirculated example of Chile's 1000 Peso polymer note — the workhorse denomination of the Chilean Peso series, featuring national hero Ignacio Carrera Pinto (1848–1882) on the obverse and the breathtaking granite towers of Torres del Paine National Park on the reverse. Printed on durable polymer substrate with a transparent window security feature.

Front

• Colors: deep blue background; blue and teal engraving; gold and red accents
• Portrait: Ignacio Carrera Pinto at center
• Lettering: BANCO CENTRAL DE CHILE 1000 / MIL PESOS / IGNACIO CARRERA PINTO 1848–1882
• Security features: Transparent window with portrait watermark; micro-printing “BANCO CENTRAL DE CHILE” and “MIL PESOS” in corner zones; perfect-matching see-through sun design (lower left); perfect-matching cut numerals “1000” (lower right); raised tactile design for the visually impaired (lower left)
• Signatures: Rosanna Costa Costa, President of the Central Bank — Luis Óscar Herrera, General Manager

Back

• Colors: blue background; teal and gray engraving
• Design: Torres del Paine National Park panorama at center
• Lettering: PARQUE NACIONAL TORRES DEL PAINE / BANCO CENTRAL DE CHILE 1000
• Serial numbers: Black, two-letter prefix; horizontal (top left) and vertical (right); first digit encodes year of printing

Other Characteristics

• Catalog numbers: Pick P-161n; TBB B296n; Numista N#202327
• Watermark: Transparent window with portrait of Ignacio Carrera Pinto; numerals “1000” repeated 7 times at varying positions
• Composition: Polymer
• Size: 120 × 70 mm
• Issuing entity: Banco Central de Chile
• Printer: Casa de Moneda de Chile; Note Printing Australia, Melbourne
• Currency: Peso (1975–date)
• Series: 2009–2021 Issue
• Signatures: Rosanna Costa Costa, President — Luis Óscar Herrera, General Manager

The Boy Captain Who Refused to Retreat

On 9 July 1882, a Chilean lieutenant named Ignacio Carrera Pinto was ordered to hold a mud-brick house in the Peruvian village of La Concepción with 77 soldiers. What followed became one of the most celebrated last stands in South American military history.

Carrera Pinto was 23 years old. His garrison was surrounded by a Peruvian force estimated at between 500 and 1,000 men during the War of the Pacific — the brutal three-way conflict between Chile, Peru, and Bolivia over the nitrate-rich Atacama Desert that reshaped the continent’s borders. Offered the chance to surrender, Carrera Pinto reportedly refused. He and his entire command fought until the last man fell. Not one Chilean soldier surrendered.

Chile made him a martyr and a symbol of military honor. His name was given to streets, schools, and regiments. And in 2010, when the Banco Central de Chile redesigned its 1000 Peso note in polymer, his portrait went on the front — the face most Chileans see every time they reach into their wallet.

The Towers at the End of the World

Torres del Paine — the “Towers of Paine” — are three granite monoliths rising nearly 2,500 meters from the Patagonian steppe in Chile’s far south, sculpted by glaciers over millions of years into shapes so improbable they look designed. The word Paine comes from the Tehuelche language and means “blue” — a reference to the color of the lakes that surround the massif.

Surrounding it is a 1,814-sq-km (700-sq-mi) national park, roughly the size of Rhode Island and is one of the most visited wilderness destinations in South America, drawing trekkers from around the world to its famous “W” and “O” circuits. It is home to guanacos, pumas, Andean condors, and rheas. The towers themselves change color through the day — gray at dawn, gold at midday, blood-red at sunset — and are only visible without cloud cover a fraction of the time. Most visitors wait days for a clear view.

Own this note and you hold a small polymer record of two of Chile’s defining images — a soldier who wouldn’t yield, and a landscape that doesn’t need to.

A Note on Banknote Grading

We grade banknotes by condition — how much wear, folding, or handling a note shows. Below is the scale we use.

• Uncirculated (UNC) — Crisp and fresh: No folds, no creases, no handling marks. Exactly as it left the printer.
• About Uncirculated (AU) — Nearly perfect: One light fold or a trace of handling; still bright and sharp.
• Extremely Fine (XF) — Lightly circulated: Two or three light folds; bright with minor handling.
• Very Fine (VF) — Honestly circulated: Several folds, still crisp with good color and no tears.
• Fine & below — Well-circulated: Heavy folding, limpness, or minor soiling. All detail visible.

Please note: Grades are assigned by visual inspection and reflect our best honest assessment. Individual notes are representative of their grade tier and may vary slightly.