Banknotes 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 500 pesos | ||
History
The peso replaced the Salvadoran and Central American Republic reales, at a rate of 8 reales = 1 peso. Banknotes were issued from 1877. In 1889, El Salvador decimalized, with the peso subdivided into 100 centavos, and began to issue coins. The peso was initially pegged to the French franc, at a rate of 1 peso = 5 francs. The peso was replaced in 1919 by the colón, at par.
Coins
The first decimal Salvadoran coins were issued in 1889. These were copper-nickel 1 and 3 centavos. On August 28, 1892, the Salvadoran mint was established and production of silver and gold coins denominated in centavos and pesos began. In addition to copper 1 centavo coins, there were silver 5, 10, 20 and centavos and 1 peso, and gold 2½, 5, 10 and 20 pesos, although the gold coins were only issued in very small numbers (597, 558, 321, and 300 respectively. In 1909, bronze ¼ real coins were issued in response to the continued use of the real currency system in parts of the country. Coins for 25 centavos were introduced in 1911. Production of silver coins was suspended in 1914.