From the dawn of independence to the first years of the twentieth century, it was a common occurrence that the military leaders that struggled for the domination of a territory minted their own coins and printed their banknotes, conforming to their own economic system, which was far from the central powers. Generally, the purpose of the coins and banknotes was for the payment to the troops, its circulation restricted to the dominated territory (seiged territory), and obligatory receipts for all types of transactions.

The liberal military chieftain (caudillo) General Rafael Uribe Uribe - leader of the liberal forces of the War of a Thousand Days saw himself obligated to order the printing of banknotes as the only way for the survival of his troops. He ordered the manufacturer of $1, $5, and $10 peso notes in Ocana, dated June 15, 1900. "The Republic of Colombia, the Treasury of the Provisional Government will pay the bearer on sight five pesos in circulating money." On the backside of some five and ten peso notes is a stmp that says: Peralonso. These are very special notes, in keeping with the difficult historical times. They were printed on ordinary paper and many with striped notebook paper.

With the help of a magnifying glass, we find on the left side of the solider a small seal with the work "revolution" in the form of a semicircle. These banknotes lack numbering, and the number of notes printed is unknown. They are printed on white paper and black ink.

Source: EL MUNDO, Medellin, Colombia, Domingo, 30 de noviembre de 1997.

Courtesy: Bernardo Gonzalez White
N.B. Pick 295B (PS982)