Buenos Aires - Un Decimo 1822

November 2024

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This the first type and year of coinage that Matthew Robinson Boulton and James Watt struck for South America. This was the first British coiner to contract with areas that were formally under Spanish control. Argentina was not fully consolidated into one country so Buenos Ayres (as they spelled it then), the main city and province of Argentina, contracted for Un Decimo coinage beginning in 1822. This was a minor coinage valued at 1/10th of a silver Real. This turns out to be milestone coinage in another way. The issues of 1822 (~ 4 million) were the last coins struck on the directly steam operated presses at Soho, Birmingham. In this transition period to the opening of the third Boulton mint the Un Decimo coins of 1823 were minted at the new facility but with hand driven presses for the second issue of around 4 million pieces. These coins were relatively short lived. Argentine authorities recalled this coinage in 1827 and very many (est. of about half) of the Un Decimos were restruck into the 5/10 Real issues of the Banco Nacional of Buenos Ayres.