Banco Español de Puerto Rico Currency & Banknote Values

The Greysheet Catalog (GSID) of the Banco Español de Puerto Rico series of Puerto Rico in the World Currency contains 59 distinct entries with CPG® values between $1,400.00 and $5,000.00.

On 23 May 1887, María Cristina of Austria and Víctor Balaguer, Minister of Overseas of Spain, signed a decree proposing the creation of a royal bank in Puerto Rico, and on 5 May 1888, a decree granted a 25-year charter to the Banco Español de Puerto Rico (Spanish Bank of Puerto Rico, BEP), though the bank did not begin operations until 1 February 1890.

In the interim, the Sociedad Anonima de Credito Mercantil de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico Mercantile Credit Company) continued producing 100-peso notes with a vignette of the paschal lamb. At the end of 1890, the bank had issued 200,000 pesos in 100-peso notes, but none are known to exist.

By 1898, the Banco Español de Puerto Rico had issued 2,587,445 pesos into circulation. In January 1926, the US government withdrew all remaining notes and destroyed them by incineration.