Pre-independence currency
Main article: Currency of Spanish America
Peso = 8 Reales (silver)
Escudo = 2 Pesos (gold)
History
Ecuador, known in the colonial period as Quito (and then four times its present size), was administered as part of New Granada, along with Colombia and Venezuela. It shared the common Spanish-American monetary system, based on the silver peso and the gold escudo, current throughout Spanish America. Gold dust and silver bars, smelted at Riobamba, circulated, often in preference to coin.
In December 1821, the Viceroy of New Granada ordered the Popayn mint moved to Quito, where it could produce money for royalist forces in the field. But Simn Bolvar's army was advancing, so the mint equipment was installed at Pasto, the last royalist stronghold, where it began producing coin January 24, 1822.
Coin
Pasto mint
2 reales
1822-1830 Gran Colombia
Main article: Currency of Colombia#1821-1830 Gran Colombia
Peso = 8 Reales (silver)
Onza = 8 Escudos = 16 Pesos (gold)
Quito was part of Gran Colombia until 1830 as Departamento del Sur. Gran Colombia's monetary regulations retained the old Spanish colonial system, with both milled and hammered coin circulating. Gold and silver were minted at Popayn and Bogot, copper at Caracas. On July 28, 1823, Bolvar authorized a mint at Quito, but almost a decade would pass before one opened there. Cobs (macuquina) were ordered withdrawn in 1826, but because of the lack of other coin, they continued to circulate. All kinds of foreign coin circulated on the coast as a result of foreign trade, but in the interior provinces only old Spanish colonial coin and macuquina circulated, mostly Peruvian.
1830-1845 Peso
1830-1836 State of Ecuador
History
Quito separated from Gran Colombia and adopted a constitution on September 23, 1830 as 'Estado del Ecuador en la Repblica de Colombia (State of Ecuador in the Republic of Colombia), which reflected the desire of President Juan Jos Flores for confederation.
President Flores asked Congress to etablish a mint at Quito, and on November 8, 1831 Congress passed its first monetary law, authorizing coin "like that minted at Popayn". This resulted in the Quito mint producing silver only 666 fine. The Quito mint did not begin regular production until 1833. Meanwhile, the shortage of coin was met by foreign coin and counterfeit coin.
Flores authorized the import for circulation of all coin of Spain and the new American states on December 26, 1832, except for the "reales" minted at Popayn. Before coins from Granada (Colombia), could be imported, they had to be presented at the Quito mint and, if of good quality, countermarked on the reverse with the letters "MdQ" (for moneda de Quito, coin of Quito) in monogramed script.
the answer is homos!
Countermarked coin
The 1832 countermark was intended solely for coin minted at Bogot (Cundinamarca) between 1815 and 1821. But coins of below-standard fineness had been minted at Bogot in 1823-1826, but dated 1821, and most were put into circulation in the Quito department during the Gran Colombia period.
Coins of Cundinamarca and Granada, dated 1818-1821, counterstamped 'MdQ' (quantities unknown):
1/4 real
1/2 real
real
2 reales
8 reales
Silver coin
Obv. arms of Colombia, rim inscription EL ECUADOR EN COLOMBIA and QUITO below the arms; rev. denomination, rim inscribed EL PODER EN LA CONSTITUCION; below the year and GJ (assayer's initials). A 1-real coin was authorized February 28, 1833. Minting of the medio real began September 30, 1832, before its characteristics had been established, which explains why some have the letter "M" (according to the law) while others have "1/2".
silver 666 fine dated 1833-1836
1/2 real 16 mm
real, 20 mm, 300-395 g
2 reales, 25 mm
Gold coin
Obv. Indian head with band reading LIBERTAD, the rim inscribed EL ECUADOR EN COLOMBIA, and below the head QUITO. The minting of 2-escudo pieces began in 1834. Some have their value expressed as 2-E (2 escudos), others as 1-D (1 dobln).
gold 875 fine dated 1833-1835
escudo, 18 mm, 3383 g
dobln, 22 mm, 6766 g
1836-1843 Republic of Ecuador
History
After Ecuador became "Repblica del Ecuador" on June 28, 1835, the inscription (rev.) "EL ECUADOR EN COLOMBIA" was changed to "REPUBLICA DEL ECUADOR" (but the Colombian arms were retained). The minting of 1 and 2 escudo coins ceased because of an influx of counterfeits of these coins. In their place, President Vicente Rocafuerte authorized a media onza (4-escudo or dobln de a quatro).
After more minting equipment was obtained from Chile and installed at Quito, the minting of onzas (8-escudo pieces) was authorized (February 1838). A 4-real coin was authorized October 8, 1841 with the same features as the other denominations, but with the added inscription "MORAL INDUSTRIA" around the circumference, making the coin more difficult to counterfeit.
Poor quality and counterfeit coin from Colombia and Bolivia entered circulation in Ecuador, and the coins produced by the Quito mint had many flaws, so that currency standards were difficult to maintain. The use of merchant tokens became widespread. In an attempt to end the use of tokens, the government introduced a cuartillo (1/4 real) in 1842. The cuartillo was 333 fine and was called a cal (the name given in Spain to the 4-maraved coin and which in Ecuador came to be applied to any small coin of low value).
Silver coin
silver 333 fine
cuartillo, 16 mm (1842)
silver 666 fine
1/2 real, 17 mm (1838, 1840)
real, 20 mm (1836-1841)
2 reales, 25 mm, 580-610 g (1836-1841)
4 reales, 315 mm (1841-1843)
Gold coin
gold 875 fine
1/2 onza (4 escudos), 28 mm, 13500 (1836-1839, 1841)
onza (8 escudos), 34 mm, 27064 g (1838-1843)
1843 monetary law and coin
Counterfeiting had reached alarming proportions during 1842. At this time, Ecuador was on the verge of bankruptcy, and since legitimate coins had such imperfections that it was impossible to tell them from the bad coin, the government legalized the circulation of false coin.
The National Convention passed a new monetary law in June 1843, changing the coin type (design) in an effort to distinguish good money from bad. It adopted a new coat of arms for the obverse and placed a bust of Simn Bolvar on the reverse on both gold and silver. It authorized a gold onza (E.8), 1/2 onza (E.4), dobln (E.2), escudo, and 1/2 escudo (never minted). Silver coins were the peso fuerte (R.8), medio peso (R.4), peseta (R.2), real, medio (R.1/2), and cuarto (R.1/4). But the absurdly low quantities of coin minted in 1844-1845 resulted in an influx of worn coin and coin of inferior quality from neighboring countries.
medio peso (R.4), 33 mm (1844, 1845)
onza (E.8), 36 mm (1844, 1845)
1846-1856 Peso fuerte
History
On December 29, 1845, President Vicente Ramn Roca authorized a coin to compete with the fuertes (full-bodied coin) of other countries. This was the peso fuerte, 903 fine. The standard of 875 fine for gold was identical to that of Ecuador's neighbors and presented no problem. The standard of 903 fine for silver, however, resulted in a heavy export of the coin. It disappeared as soon as it entered circulation (Gresham's law), grabbed up by the merchants of Guayaquil. On July 7, 1846, the value of the fuerte was raised from 8 to 9 reales in a vain attempt to keep it in circulation.
The November 1846 monetary law adopted a new type with a bust of Bolvar for gold and a Liberty bust for silver. These appeared on coins dated 1847. The bulk of the circulating currency consisted of poor quality, worn coins. As soon as the new silver coins appeared, they were clipped and perforated in order to reduce their value to that of the circulating currency, while gold coins immediately disappeared abroad.
By the 1850s the Quito mint was not receiving enough precious metals to justify its operation. It had to coin a minimum of 6,000 pesos a year just to meet overhead. The mint was shut down during 1853 while the government considered the options of keeping it open or shutting it down. The mint equipment was worn and could not produce coin in sufficient quantity to compete with the foreign coin that entered Ecuador, especially through the port of Guayaquil.
Many coins in circulation were pierced with a hole, and this was causing problems in financial transactions. The governor of Pichincha Province proclaimed that anyone piercing a coin minted after 1855 would be punished according to existing penal regulations and that anyone receiving such a pierced coin had to make note of the person passing it.
Silver coin
silver 666 fine dated 1847-1852
1/4 real, 12 mm, 1849-1862
1/2 real, 17 mm, 1848-1849
2 reales, 27 mm, 1847-1852
silver 903 fine dated 1846
peso fuerte, 38 mm, 27000 g (1,386 pieces)
Gold coin
gold, 875 fine dated 1847-1856
onza, 37 mm, 27064 g
1856-1871 Franco
Peso = 5 Francos = 10 Reales
History
Congress passed a new monetary law on December 5, 1856, adopting the French decimal system, a standard of 0900 for silver, and the Ecuadorian franco, equal to 4500 g fine silver or 2903225 mg fine gold. The peso remained a unit of account equal to 5 francos. This measure was intended to avoid the error committed with the peso fuerte of 1846. Only decimal standard coins were to be accepted after October 15, 1866.
The Ecuadorian silver coinage had been debased ever since 1833. The government wanted to produce coins of high silver content to finance foreign exchange, so the debased silver had to be withdrawn and replaced with 900 fine silver. This was the reason for the 5-franco coin, but its appearance in October 1858 caused some confusion. The decimal system was quite unfamiliar to the public and, despite the franco's introduction, the custom of counting in pesos of 8 reales or tostones of 4 reales continued.
Production of the 5 francos could not be sustained and it proved impossible to replace all the poor coin (moneda feble, i.e., coin 666 fine). The 1859 earthquake closed the Quito mint until 1861.
Banco Particular de Guayaquil obtained permission in June 1861 to have 200,000 pesos in coin 666 fine minted on the pre-1856 octal system (Sistema Octavario). Dies for the coins were engraved in Paris and arrived in Quito in October 1862. These were the last coins produced at the Quito mint. In February 1863 the mint equipment gave out and the government did not attempt to replace it. Besides, Banco de Guayaquil had no wish to continue minting: in minting 35,580 pesos, it had suffered a loss of 6,776 pesos (19%). Thus, after 1863, all Ecuadorian coin was minted abroad.
To keep coin in circulation, President Gabriel Garca Moreno prohibited the export of coin 666 fine. The circulation of various kinds of tokens became common. Imbabura Province, in the north, was authorized to allow the free circulation of Colombian francos.
===Paper=== Banco de Circulacin y Descuento de Manuel Antonio de Luzarraga, Guayaquil, issued Ecuador's first banknotes in 1859 in denominations of 1, 4, 5, 10, and 20 pesos. All its notes were redeemed.
La Caja de Amortizacin, Guayaquil, opened in 1860, issuing notes for 5 and 10 pesos in the amount of 100,000 pesos. It closed in 1861.
Banco Particular de Descuento i Circulacin de Guayaquil, founded in 1861 by an association of 50 merchants, began issuing notes in 1862 in denominations of 1, 5, 10, and 20 pesos, adding a 50 and 100 in 1864, and notes for 2 and 4 reales in 1865. This bank did much to popularize the use of paper money. It merged into Banco del Ecuador in 1870.
Banco de Circulacion y Descuento de Planas, Prez y Obarrio opened at Guayaquil in 1865 and, without government authorization, issued 300,000 pesos in notes of 4 reales and 1, 5, 10, and 20 pesos. In 1867 it was obliged to recall its notes and close its doors.
Banco del Ecuador, founded in 1867, began operations at Guayaquil in 1868, issuing overprinted notes of the Luzarraga bank for 1, 4, 5, and 10 pesos. It issued new notes in 1870 for 2 and 4 reales and 1 peso.''
Coin
silver 666 fine
1/4 real, 12 mm (1855, 1856, 1862)
2 reales, 26 mm (1857, 1862)
4 reales, 335 mm (1855, 1857, 1862)
silver 900 fine
5 francos, 375 mm, 25000 g (1858)
1871-1884 Peso
Peso = 10 Reales = 100 Centavos
Conversion: 1 peso = 5 francos
History
The silver peso of 25000 g 900 fine was made the monetary unit on November 21, 1871, and it was decimalized November 21, 1873. The issue of 1 and 2 centavo copper coins (minted in Birmingham) was decreed June 8, 1872, and President Garca Moreno provided that the new coins would be received by the government at the rate of 10 centavos per real or 100 centavos per peso fuerte of 10 reales. This established a legal equivalence between the old money and the new. It was further arranged to have Banco del Ecuador import coin based on the French decimal system. Garca Moreno thus settled the basic problems of Ecuador's currency.
In 1877 President Ignacio de Veintimilla authorized the free circulation of coin less than 900 fine, with the immediate result that good quality coin disappeared from circulation, replaced by coin from Chile and Bolivia that was only 500 fine.
Paper
Banco del Ecuador issued notes for 2 & 4 reales and 1, 5, 10, 20, 100, 500 & 1000 pesos.
Banco Nacional, Guayaquil, issued notes briefly in 1871 for 2 and 4 reales and for 1, 5, 10, 20, and 100 pesos. It was taken over by Banco del Eduador, which began withdrawing Banco Nacional's notes in 1872.
Banco de Quito was the first Quito-based bank. It began issuing notes in 1874 for 2 reales and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 pesos. A new series appeared in 1880 for 1, 5, 10, 20, and 100 pesos.
Banco de la Union, Quito, issued notes from 1882 for 1, 5, 10, 20, and 100 pesos. It handled the personal finances of President Veintimilla.
Banco Anglo-Ecuatoriano was established in 1884 at Montecristi, later movng to Guayaquil. It issued notes for 1, 5, and 10 pesos.
Coin
copper, Birmingham, dated 1872
centavo, 255 mm
2 centavos, 31 mm
1884-1898 Sucre (silver standard)
Sucre = 10 Dcimos = 100 Centavos
Conversion: 1 sucre = 1 peso
History
Ecuador's monetary unit, the peso, was renamed sucre (decree of March 22, 1884, effective April 1), equal to 22.500 g fine silver. The 1884 monetary law permitted free circulation of gold coin of France, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Colombia, Peru, and the United States. As for silver, the law permitted the import of 5-franc pieces of France, Italy, Belgium, and Switzerland, of the pesos of Chile and Colombia, of the Peruvian sol, and of the United States dollar and its fractions. Copper (velln) was made legal tender to 5 dcimos. Bank reserves were in silver coin and banknotes were convertible solely into silver. Ecuador was on a de facto silver standard and did not coin any gold between 1884 and 1892. The government had silver coin minted abroad through the offices of the private banks, usually taking 25% of the profit.
The Government signed a contract, October 6, 1887, with Banco del Ecuador to withdraw Chilean coin and low-quality national coin and replace it with coin of standard fineness. A decree of April 12, 1889 made the Bolivian coin circulating in the southern part of Ecuador equal to other coin, since its holders had been losing 20% on exchange. Banco Internacional was entrusted with withdrawing the Bolivian coin, paying partly in good coin and partly in notes. In 1890 Colombian coin 835 fine was exchanged at its face value.
Between 1887 and 1892 over 175 million sucres worth of substandard coin was withdrawn, so that only high quality silver coin remained in circulation. President Antonio Flores Jijn (son of Presidente Juan Jos Flores) announced that from August 15, 1890 only national coin was allowed to circulate in Ecuador, and Ecuador's monetary system was finally unified. But the total face value of coin in circulation had been reduced. In order to alleviate the shortage of small change, the President authorized (June 14, 1890) the minting of 30,000 sucres in copper coins of 1/2 and 1 centavo.
The fall in the price of silver had been gradual in 1884-1890, but became very pronounced after 1893, and the government began looking at ways to adopt the gold standard. In 1897, the Monetary Commission reported that of the 4,790,730 sucres that had been minted up to then, 2,810,850 had been in 1-sucre coins and 2,079,000 in halves, tenths, and twentieths. It also reported that of the total, 2,931,08115 was deposited with the banks and that half of the remainder was still in circulation, the other half either exported or used by industry.
Paper
Banco del Ecuador issued notes of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 & 1000 sucres. It was one of the most powerful banks of the period.
Banco de la Union issued notes for 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 & 100 sucres until it closed in 1895.
Banco Anglo-Ecuatoriano issued notes for 1, 5 & 10 sucres until it was reorganized as Banco Internacional in 1887.
Banco de Londres y Ecuador, Quito, evidently issued notes for 1, 5, and 10 sucres. (No information about this bank is available.)
Banco Internacional was reorganized in 1885 from Banco Anglo-Ecuatoriano. It issued notes for 1, 5, 10, 20, 100, 500 & 1000 sucres. New designs of the 50 & 100 appeared in 1889. It was reorganized in 1894 as Comercial y Agricola.
Banco Comercial y Agricola, reorganized in 1894 from Banco Internacional, issued notes for 1, 5, 20, 100, 500 & 1000 sucres. The color of the 1-sucre note was changed in 1897,
Coin
copper-nickel, dated 1884-1886
centavo, 175 mm
medio dcimo, 25 mm
silver 900 fine dated 1884-1916
medio dcimo, 15 mm, 1250 g
dcimo, 18 mm, 2500 g
2 dcimos, 23 mm, 5000 g
medio sucre, 30 mm, 12500 g
sucre, 37 mm, 25000 g
1898-1914 Sucre (gold standard)
Sucre (S/.) = 10 Dcimos = 100 Centavos
History
The gold standard was adopted November 3, 1898, the gold coin to be called the cndor ecuatoriano, 8136 g, 900 fine, with a value of 10 sucres. This made the sucre equal to 73222382 mg fine gold or 2 shillings sterling. Gold par was 10 sucres per pound sterling, 2055 per US$1, and 2522 francs per sucre. Silver pieces were the peseta (2 dcimos), the real or dcimo (10 centavos), and the medio (5 centavos). The 1898 law also made the sovereign legal tender. A subsequent decree (October 29, 1908) authorized a gold 1/5 cndor and velln coins (75% copper, 25% nickel) of 1/2, 1, 2, and 5 centavos.
Paper
Banco del Ecuador and Banco Comerci
Main article: Currency of Spanish America
Peso = 8 Reales (silver)
Escudo = 2 Pesos (gold)
History
Ecuador, known in the colonial period as Quito (and then four times its present size), was administered as part of New Granada, along with Colombia and Venezuela. It shared the common Spanish-American monetary system, based on the silver peso and the gold escudo, current throughout Spanish America. Gold dust and silver bars, smelted at Riobamba, circulated, often in preference to coin.
In December 1821, the Viceroy of New Granada ordered the Popayn mint moved to Quito, where it could produce money for royalist forces in the field. But Simn Bolvar's army was advancing, so the mint equipment was installed at Pasto, the last royalist stronghold, where it began producing coin January 24, 1822.
Coin
Pasto mint
2 reales
1822-1830 Gran Colombia
Main article: Currency of Colombia#1821-1830 Gran Colombia
Peso = 8 Reales (silver)
Onza = 8 Escudos = 16 Pesos (gold)
Quito was part of Gran Colombia until 1830 as Departamento del Sur. Gran Colombia's monetary regulations retained the old Spanish colonial system, with both milled and hammered coin circulating. Gold and silver were minted at Popayn and Bogot, copper at Caracas. On July 28, 1823, Bolvar authorized a mint at Quito, but almost a decade would pass before one opened there. Cobs (macuquina) were ordered withdrawn in 1826, but because of the lack of other coin, they continued to circulate. All kinds of foreign coin circulated on the coast as a result of foreign trade, but in the interior provinces only old Spanish colonial coin and macuquina circulated, mostly Peruvian.
1830-1845 Peso
1830-1836 State of Ecuador
History
Quito separated from Gran Colombia and adopted a constitution on September 23, 1830 as 'Estado del Ecuador en la Repblica de Colombia (State of Ecuador in the Republic of Colombia), which reflected the desire of President Juan Jos Flores for confederation.
President Flores asked Congress to etablish a mint at Quito, and on November 8, 1831 Congress passed its first monetary law, authorizing coin "like that minted at Popayn". This resulted in the Quito mint producing silver only 666 fine. The Quito mint did not begin regular production until 1833. Meanwhile, the shortage of coin was met by foreign coin and counterfeit coin.
Flores authorized the import for circulation of all coin of Spain and the new American states on December 26, 1832, except for the "reales" minted at Popayn. Before coins from Granada (Colombia), could be imported, they had to be presented at the Quito mint and, if of good quality, countermarked on the reverse with the letters "MdQ" (for moneda de Quito, coin of Quito) in monogramed script.
the answer is homos!
Countermarked coin
The 1832 countermark was intended solely for coin minted at Bogot (Cundinamarca) between 1815 and 1821. But coins of below-standard fineness had been minted at Bogot in 1823-1826, but dated 1821, and most were put into circulation in the Quito department during the Gran Colombia period.
Coins of Cundinamarca and Granada, dated 1818-1821, counterstamped 'MdQ' (quantities unknown):
1/4 real
1/2 real
real
2 reales
8 reales
Silver coin
Obv. arms of Colombia, rim inscription EL ECUADOR EN COLOMBIA and QUITO below the arms; rev. denomination, rim inscribed EL PODER EN LA CONSTITUCION; below the year and GJ (assayer's initials). A 1-real coin was authorized February 28, 1833. Minting of the medio real began September 30, 1832, before its characteristics had been established, which explains why some have the letter "M" (according to the law) while others have "1/2".
silver 666 fine dated 1833-1836
1/2 real 16 mm
real, 20 mm, 300-395 g
2 reales, 25 mm
Gold coin
Obv. Indian head with band reading LIBERTAD, the rim inscribed EL ECUADOR EN COLOMBIA, and below the head QUITO. The minting of 2-escudo pieces began in 1834. Some have their value expressed as 2-E (2 escudos), others as 1-D (1 dobln).
gold 875 fine dated 1833-1835
escudo, 18 mm, 3383 g
dobln, 22 mm, 6766 g
1836-1843 Republic of Ecuador
History
After Ecuador became "Repblica del Ecuador" on June 28, 1835, the inscription (rev.) "EL ECUADOR EN COLOMBIA" was changed to "REPUBLICA DEL ECUADOR" (but the Colombian arms were retained). The minting of 1 and 2 escudo coins ceased because of an influx of counterfeits of these coins. In their place, President Vicente Rocafuerte authorized a media onza (4-escudo or dobln de a quatro).
After more minting equipment was obtained from Chile and installed at Quito, the minting of onzas (8-escudo pieces) was authorized (February 1838). A 4-real coin was authorized October 8, 1841 with the same features as the other denominations, but with the added inscription "MORAL INDUSTRIA" around the circumference, making the coin more difficult to counterfeit.
Poor quality and counterfeit coin from Colombia and Bolivia entered circulation in Ecuador, and the coins produced by the Quito mint had many flaws, so that currency standards were difficult to maintain. The use of merchant tokens became widespread. In an attempt to end the use of tokens, the government introduced a cuartillo (1/4 real) in 1842. The cuartillo was 333 fine and was called a cal (the name given in Spain to the 4-maraved coin and which in Ecuador came to be applied to any small coin of low value).
Silver coin
silver 333 fine
cuartillo, 16 mm (1842)
silver 666 fine
1/2 real, 17 mm (1838, 1840)
real, 20 mm (1836-1841)
2 reales, 25 mm, 580-610 g (1836-1841)
4 reales, 315 mm (1841-1843)
Gold coin
gold 875 fine
1/2 onza (4 escudos), 28 mm, 13500 (1836-1839, 1841)
onza (8 escudos), 34 mm, 27064 g (1838-1843)
1843 monetary law and coin
Counterfeiting had reached alarming proportions during 1842. At this time, Ecuador was on the verge of bankruptcy, and since legitimate coins had such imperfections that it was impossible to tell them from the bad coin, the government legalized the circulation of false coin.
The National Convention passed a new monetary law in June 1843, changing the coin type (design) in an effort to distinguish good money from bad. It adopted a new coat of arms for the obverse and placed a bust of Simn Bolvar on the reverse on both gold and silver. It authorized a gold onza (E.8), 1/2 onza (E.4), dobln (E.2), escudo, and 1/2 escudo (never minted). Silver coins were the peso fuerte (R.8), medio peso (R.4), peseta (R.2), real, medio (R.1/2), and cuarto (R.1/4). But the absurdly low quantities of coin minted in 1844-1845 resulted in an influx of worn coin and coin of inferior quality from neighboring countries.
medio peso (R.4), 33 mm (1844, 1845)
onza (E.8), 36 mm (1844, 1845)
1846-1856 Peso fuerte
History
On December 29, 1845, President Vicente Ramn Roca authorized a coin to compete with the fuertes (full-bodied coin) of other countries. This was the peso fuerte, 903 fine. The standard of 875 fine for gold was identical to that of Ecuador's neighbors and presented no problem. The standard of 903 fine for silver, however, resulted in a heavy export of the coin. It disappeared as soon as it entered circulation (Gresham's law), grabbed up by the merchants of Guayaquil. On July 7, 1846, the value of the fuerte was raised from 8 to 9 reales in a vain attempt to keep it in circulation.
The November 1846 monetary law adopted a new type with a bust of Bolvar for gold and a Liberty bust for silver. These appeared on coins dated 1847. The bulk of the circulating currency consisted of poor quality, worn coins. As soon as the new silver coins appeared, they were clipped and perforated in order to reduce their value to that of the circulating currency, while gold coins immediately disappeared abroad.
By the 1850s the Quito mint was not receiving enough precious metals to justify its operation. It had to coin a minimum of 6,000 pesos a year just to meet overhead. The mint was shut down during 1853 while the government considered the options of keeping it open or shutting it down. The mint equipment was worn and could not produce coin in sufficient quantity to compete with the foreign coin that entered Ecuador, especially through the port of Guayaquil.
Many coins in circulation were pierced with a hole, and this was causing problems in financial transactions. The governor of Pichincha Province proclaimed that anyone piercing a coin minted after 1855 would be punished according to existing penal regulations and that anyone receiving such a pierced coin had to make note of the person passing it.
Silver coin
silver 666 fine dated 1847-1852
1/4 real, 12 mm, 1849-1862
1/2 real, 17 mm, 1848-1849
2 reales, 27 mm, 1847-1852
silver 903 fine dated 1846
peso fuerte, 38 mm, 27000 g (1,386 pieces)
Gold coin
gold, 875 fine dated 1847-1856
onza, 37 mm, 27064 g
1856-1871 Franco
Peso = 5 Francos = 10 Reales
History
Congress passed a new monetary law on December 5, 1856, adopting the French decimal system, a standard of 0900 for silver, and the Ecuadorian franco, equal to 4500 g fine silver or 2903225 mg fine gold. The peso remained a unit of account equal to 5 francos. This measure was intended to avoid the error committed with the peso fuerte of 1846. Only decimal standard coins were to be accepted after October 15, 1866.
The Ecuadorian silver coinage had been debased ever since 1833. The government wanted to produce coins of high silver content to finance foreign exchange, so the debased silver had to be withdrawn and replaced with 900 fine silver. This was the reason for the 5-franco coin, but its appearance in October 1858 caused some confusion. The decimal system was quite unfamiliar to the public and, despite the franco's introduction, the custom of counting in pesos of 8 reales or tostones of 4 reales continued.
Production of the 5 francos could not be sustained and it proved impossible to replace all the poor coin (moneda feble, i.e., coin 666 fine). The 1859 earthquake closed the Quito mint until 1861.
Banco Particular de Guayaquil obtained permission in June 1861 to have 200,000 pesos in coin 666 fine minted on the pre-1856 octal system (Sistema Octavario). Dies for the coins were engraved in Paris and arrived in Quito in October 1862. These were the last coins produced at the Quito mint. In February 1863 the mint equipment gave out and the government did not attempt to replace it. Besides, Banco de Guayaquil had no wish to continue minting: in minting 35,580 pesos, it had suffered a loss of 6,776 pesos (19%). Thus, after 1863, all Ecuadorian coin was minted abroad.
To keep coin in circulation, President Gabriel Garca Moreno prohibited the export of coin 666 fine. The circulation of various kinds of tokens became common. Imbabura Province, in the north, was authorized to allow the free circulation of Colombian francos.
===Paper=== Banco de Circulacin y Descuento de Manuel Antonio de Luzarraga, Guayaquil, issued Ecuador's first banknotes in 1859 in denominations of 1, 4, 5, 10, and 20 pesos. All its notes were redeemed.
La Caja de Amortizacin, Guayaquil, opened in 1860, issuing notes for 5 and 10 pesos in the amount of 100,000 pesos. It closed in 1861.
Banco Particular de Descuento i Circulacin de Guayaquil, founded in 1861 by an association of 50 merchants, began issuing notes in 1862 in denominations of 1, 5, 10, and 20 pesos, adding a 50 and 100 in 1864, and notes for 2 and 4 reales in 1865. This bank did much to popularize the use of paper money. It merged into Banco del Ecuador in 1870.
Banco de Circulacion y Descuento de Planas, Prez y Obarrio opened at Guayaquil in 1865 and, without government authorization, issued 300,000 pesos in notes of 4 reales and 1, 5, 10, and 20 pesos. In 1867 it was obliged to recall its notes and close its doors.
Banco del Ecuador, founded in 1867, began operations at Guayaquil in 1868, issuing overprinted notes of the Luzarraga bank for 1, 4, 5, and 10 pesos. It issued new notes in 1870 for 2 and 4 reales and 1 peso.''
Coin
silver 666 fine
1/4 real, 12 mm (1855, 1856, 1862)
2 reales, 26 mm (1857, 1862)
4 reales, 335 mm (1855, 1857, 1862)
silver 900 fine
5 francos, 375 mm, 25000 g (1858)
1871-1884 Peso
Peso = 10 Reales = 100 Centavos
Conversion: 1 peso = 5 francos
History
The silver peso of 25000 g 900 fine was made the monetary unit on November 21, 1871, and it was decimalized November 21, 1873. The issue of 1 and 2 centavo copper coins (minted in Birmingham) was decreed June 8, 1872, and President Garca Moreno provided that the new coins would be received by the government at the rate of 10 centavos per real or 100 centavos per peso fuerte of 10 reales. This established a legal equivalence between the old money and the new. It was further arranged to have Banco del Ecuador import coin based on the French decimal system. Garca Moreno thus settled the basic problems of Ecuador's currency.
In 1877 President Ignacio de Veintimilla authorized the free circulation of coin less than 900 fine, with the immediate result that good quality coin disappeared from circulation, replaced by coin from Chile and Bolivia that was only 500 fine.
Paper
Banco del Ecuador issued notes for 2 & 4 reales and 1, 5, 10, 20, 100, 500 & 1000 pesos.
Banco Nacional, Guayaquil, issued notes briefly in 1871 for 2 and 4 reales and for 1, 5, 10, 20, and 100 pesos. It was taken over by Banco del Eduador, which began withdrawing Banco Nacional's notes in 1872.
Banco de Quito was the first Quito-based bank. It began issuing notes in 1874 for 2 reales and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 pesos. A new series appeared in 1880 for 1, 5, 10, 20, and 100 pesos.
Banco de la Union, Quito, issued notes from 1882 for 1, 5, 10, 20, and 100 pesos. It handled the personal finances of President Veintimilla.
Banco Anglo-Ecuatoriano was established in 1884 at Montecristi, later movng to Guayaquil. It issued notes for 1, 5, and 10 pesos.
Coin
copper, Birmingham, dated 1872
centavo, 255 mm
2 centavos, 31 mm
1884-1898 Sucre (silver standard)
Sucre = 10 Dcimos = 100 Centavos
Conversion: 1 sucre = 1 peso
History
Ecuador's monetary unit, the peso, was renamed sucre (decree of March 22, 1884, effective April 1), equal to 22.500 g fine silver. The 1884 monetary law permitted free circulation of gold coin of France, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Colombia, Peru, and the United States. As for silver, the law permitted the import of 5-franc pieces of France, Italy, Belgium, and Switzerland, of the pesos of Chile and Colombia, of the Peruvian sol, and of the United States dollar and its fractions. Copper (velln) was made legal tender to 5 dcimos. Bank reserves were in silver coin and banknotes were convertible solely into silver. Ecuador was on a de facto silver standard and did not coin any gold between 1884 and 1892. The government had silver coin minted abroad through the offices of the private banks, usually taking 25% of the profit.
The Government signed a contract, October 6, 1887, with Banco del Ecuador to withdraw Chilean coin and low-quality national coin and replace it with coin of standard fineness. A decree of April 12, 1889 made the Bolivian coin circulating in the southern part of Ecuador equal to other coin, since its holders had been losing 20% on exchange. Banco Internacional was entrusted with withdrawing the Bolivian coin, paying partly in good coin and partly in notes. In 1890 Colombian coin 835 fine was exchanged at its face value.
Between 1887 and 1892 over 175 million sucres worth of substandard coin was withdrawn, so that only high quality silver coin remained in circulation. President Antonio Flores Jijn (son of Presidente Juan Jos Flores) announced that from August 15, 1890 only national coin was allowed to circulate in Ecuador, and Ecuador's monetary system was finally unified. But the total face value of coin in circulation had been reduced. In order to alleviate the shortage of small change, the President authorized (June 14, 1890) the minting of 30,000 sucres in copper coins of 1/2 and 1 centavo.
The fall in the price of silver had been gradual in 1884-1890, but became very pronounced after 1893, and the government began looking at ways to adopt the gold standard. In 1897, the Monetary Commission reported that of the 4,790,730 sucres that had been minted up to then, 2,810,850 had been in 1-sucre coins and 2,079,000 in halves, tenths, and twentieths. It also reported that of the total, 2,931,08115 was deposited with the banks and that half of the remainder was still in circulation, the other half either exported or used by industry.
Paper
Banco del Ecuador issued notes of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 & 1000 sucres. It was one of the most powerful banks of the period.
Banco de la Union issued notes for 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 & 100 sucres until it closed in 1895.
Banco Anglo-Ecuatoriano issued notes for 1, 5 & 10 sucres until it was reorganized as Banco Internacional in 1887.
Banco de Londres y Ecuador, Quito, evidently issued notes for 1, 5, and 10 sucres. (No information about this bank is available.)
Banco Internacional was reorganized in 1885 from Banco Anglo-Ecuatoriano. It issued notes for 1, 5, 10, 20, 100, 500 & 1000 sucres. New designs of the 50 & 100 appeared in 1889. It was reorganized in 1894 as Comercial y Agricola.
Banco Comercial y Agricola, reorganized in 1894 from Banco Internacional, issued notes for 1, 5, 20, 100, 500 & 1000 sucres. The color of the 1-sucre note was changed in 1897,
Coin
copper-nickel, dated 1884-1886
centavo, 175 mm
medio dcimo, 25 mm
silver 900 fine dated 1884-1916
medio dcimo, 15 mm, 1250 g
dcimo, 18 mm, 2500 g
2 dcimos, 23 mm, 5000 g
medio sucre, 30 mm, 12500 g
sucre, 37 mm, 25000 g
1898-1914 Sucre (gold standard)
Sucre (S/.) = 10 Dcimos = 100 Centavos
History
The gold standard was adopted November 3, 1898, the gold coin to be called the cndor ecuatoriano, 8136 g, 900 fine, with a value of 10 sucres. This made the sucre equal to 73222382 mg fine gold or 2 shillings sterling. Gold par was 10 sucres per pound sterling, 2055 per US$1, and 2522 francs per sucre. Silver pieces were the peseta (2 dcimos), the real or dcimo (10 centavos), and the medio (5 centavos). The 1898 law also made the sovereign legal tender. A subsequent decree (October 29, 1908) authorized a gold 1/5 cndor and velln coins (75% copper, 25% nickel) of 1/2, 1, 2, and 5 centavos.
Paper
Banco del Ecuador and Banco Comerci
Currency Of Ecuador