Banknote Billet Argentina 100 australes José de San Martin, Général argentin 1989-1990

The 1 Austral banknote belongs to Series C, issued between 1988 and 1989 in Argentina. It is part of the national currency introduced in 1985, the austral, which had replaced the Argentine peso as part of a monetary reform aimed at stabilising an economy facing severe hyperinflation.

The banknote honours Bernardino Rivadavia, a major political figure in Argentine history. Born in 1780 and died in 1845, Rivadavia was the first President of the Argentine Republic, serving between 1826 and 1827. He is recognised for his significant institutional, administrative and cultural reforms, notably the creation of the National Library and the University of Buenos Aires. His depiction on this banknote reflects the symbolic place he holds in Argentine national memory.

The austral was a monetary unit with a relatively short lifespan. Introduced on 15 June 1985 under the presidency of Raúl Alfonsín as part of the Austral Plan, it was abandoned in 1992 with the introduction of the convertible peso, having itself fallen victim to massive depreciation. This brief existence gives these banknotes a strong testimonial character, illustrating a particularly turbulent economic period in Argentina's contemporary history.

Series C, issued between 1988 and 1989, represents one of the last variants of this banknote before the currency disappeared. Over the course of successive series, the technical and graphic characteristics evolved slightly, while retaining the main iconographic elements. This banknote thus constitutes a numismatic and historical document representative of a significant monetary transition in the economic history of Argentina.