Time Period: 1827-1863

Currency: 1st Bolivian Peso


Timeline

  • 17.08.1825
  • Decree of the Constituent Assembly decree on the issuance of coins in the Spanish colonial standard; effective immediately
  • 20.11.1826
  • Law on the production of coins; effective immediately
    - The coin issuance began on 01.01.1827
  • 10.10.1829
  • Presidential decree on the production of underrated silver coins of 4 Soles (original weight but fineness reduced by 74% against the 1825 standard) in Potosí mint, creating the so-called "moneda feble"; effective immediately
  • 17.08.1859
  • Presidential decree (re-iterating an earlier presidential decree of 06.10.1849) on the de facto adoption of the silver standard of the "moneda feble" by issuing new coins in original fineness of the 1825 law but the weight reduced 74%; effective immediately.

Valuation Regimes

  • 1827-1859
  • Metallic currency based on circulating silver coins, additional gold coins without fixed rate against silver. Base weight was the Castilian mark / 8 ounces / 8 octaves / 72 grains at 230.047 grams.
  • 1859-1863
  • Metallic currency based on circulating silver coins. Base weight was the Castilian mark / 8 ounces / 8 octaves / 72 grains at 230.047 grams.

Rate Arrangements

  • 01.01.1827
  • Metallic
  • Peso: 24'433.03mg AG fine; Gold bullion "Escudo": 2'960.16mg AU fine
  • 8½ Pesos (68 Soles) to the Castilian mark of 10⅚-deniers silver; 68 Escudos to the Castilian mark of 21-carats gold
  • 17.08.1859
  • Metallic
  • Peso: 18'027.85mg AG fine
  • Peso at 400 Castilian grains of 10⅚-deniers silver


Time Period: 1864-1962

Currency: 1st Bolivian Boliviano


Timeline

  • 29.06.1863
  • Law on the creation of the new currency in the silver standard; effective 01.01.1864 by presidential decree of 26.10.1863
    - Rating of former silver coins at 8.18 Bolivianos per Castilian mark silver 10⅚ deniers fine: 1 Peso (1827) = 0.96¼ Boliviano, 1 Peso (1859) = 0.71 Boliviano.
  • 1865-1866
  • Issuance of debased coinage under president J.M. Melgarejo:
    - ??.12.1865: Presidential decree on the production of silver coins at 400 Castilian grains silver 8 deniers fine per Peso (reduction by ~41%) to pay troops; effective 01.01.1866
    - 03.07.1866: Presidential decree on the production stop of the debased coins; effective immediately
    - 12.11.1866: Presidential decree on the demonetization of the debased coins and exchange at 1 Peso (1866) = 0.60 Boliviano; effective 31.12.1866.
  • 12.10.1869
  • Parliamentary decree on the on the adoption of the bimetallic standard (and introduction of metric weight units); effective 01.01.1870
    - 24.11.1872: Law, amending the 1869 decree, on the creation of the denomination "Bolívar" of 10 Bolivianos (in gold); effective immediately.
  • 01.09.1871
  • Presidential decree on the establishment of the "National Bank of Bolivia" as commercial bank with issuing privilege for paper money; effective upon constitution of the bank on 04.03.1872 (in Sucre)
  • 30.09.1890
  • Law on the regulation of paper money issuance by commercial banks; effective by presidential decree of 01.12.1891.
  • 08.04.1911
  • Presidential decree on the establishment of the "Bank of the Bolivian Nation" (based on the law of 07.01.1911) as state-owned central and commercial bank; effective upon constitution of the bank on 01.01.1914.
  • 11.07.1928
  • Law [No. 632] the transformation of the "Bank of the Bolivian Nation" into the Central Bank of Bolivia; effective upon constitution of the bank on 20.07.1928 (the name change was effected on 01.07.1929)
    - 20.12.1945: Law on the organization of the bank, separated the central and commercial bank functions (the latter were split off as "Bank of the State" in 1970); effective immediately

Valuation Regimes

  • 1864-1908
  • Metallic currency based on circulating silver coins, after 1880 dominated by paper money. The base weight was the Castilian mark / 8 ounces / 8 octaves / 72 grains at 230.047 grams (1864-1870) and the kilogram (1870-1908).
  • 1908-1946
  • Fixed rate against British Pound. By laws of 31.12.1908 and 11.07.1928, the gold standard was adopted, which Great Britain suspended in 1931. After 1937 the commercial rate effectively superseded the official rate.
  • 1946-1956
  • Fixed rate against US Dollar, parallel commercial rates for imports and exports
  • 1956-1959
  • Variable rate, highly inflationary
  • 1959-1962
  • Fixed rate against US Dollar

Rate Arrangements

  • 01.01.1864
  • Metallic
  • Boliviano: 22'465.48mg AG fine; Gold bullion "Escudo": 2'246.55mg AU fine
  • Boliviano at 500 Castilian grains of 0.900 silver; Escudo (of nominally 1.75 Bolivianos) at 50 Castilian grains of 0.900 gold
  • 01.01.1870
  • Metallic
  • Boliviano: 22'500.00mg AG fine & 1'470.59mg AU fine
  • 3'100 Bolivianos (310 Bolívares) to the kilogram of 0.900 gold and 200 Bolivianos to the kilogram of 0.900 silver => AU : AG = 15.500
  • 31.12.1908
  • Fixed
  • British Pound at 1 : 12.50 - [Gold parity] 585.79mg AU fine
  • -
  • 11.07.1928
  • Fixed
  • British Pound at 1 : 13.33 - [Gold parity] 549.18mg AU fine
  • -6.3%
  • ??.05.1932
  • Fixed
  • British Pound at 1 : 17
  • -21.6%
  • 20.02.1933
  • Fixed
  • British Pound at 1 : 20
  • -15.0%
  • 01.04.1936
  • Fixed
  • British Pound at 1 : 50
  • -60.0%
  • 16.06.1936
  • Fixed
  • British Pound at 1 : 80
  • -37.5%
  • 29.07.1937
  • Fixed
  • British Pound at 1 : 100
  • -20.0%
  • 05.09.1939
  • Fixed
  • British Pound at 1 : 120
  • -16.7%
  • 18.12.1946
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 42
  • -29.1%
  • 08.04.1950
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 60
  • -30.0%
  • 14.05.1953
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 190
  • -68.4%
  • 15.12.1956
  • Variable
  • initially: US Dollar at 1 : 7'745
  • -97.5%
  • 27.01.1959
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 11'885
  • -


Time Period: 1963-1986

Currency: 2nd Bolivian Peso


Timeline

  • 13.07.1962
  • Presidential decree [No. 6161] on the currency reform; effective 01.01.1963
  • 01.01.1963
  • Start of currency exchange:
    - 01.01.1963: Start of issuance of the new banknotes and coins
    - 31.12.1964: Demonetization of the former currency.

Valuation Regimes

  • 1963-1985
  • Fixed rate against US Dollar, in 1979 a parallel effective rate emerged which replaced the official rate in 1982
  • 1985-1986
  • Variable rate, highly inflationary

Rate Arrangements

  • 01.01.1963
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 11.89
  • ±0.0%
  • 27.10.1972
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 20
  • -40.6%
  • 30.11.1979
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 25
  • -20.0%
  • 05.02.1982
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 44
  • -43.2%
  • 05.11.1982
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 200
  • -78.0%
  • 17.11.1983
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 500
  • -60.0%
  • 12.04.1984
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 2'000
  • -75.0%
  • 22.11.1984
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 8'571
  • -76.7%
  • 09.02.1985
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 45'000
  • -81.0%
  • 16.05.1985
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 67'000
  • -32.8%
  • 02.09.1985
  • Variable
  • initially: US Dollar at 1 : 1'100'000
  • -93.9%


Time Period: 1987-

Currency: 2nd Bolivian Boliviano


Timeline

  • 28.11.1986
  • Law [No. 901] on the currency reform; effective 01.01.1987
  • 01.01.1987
  • Start of currency exchange:
    - 01.01.1987: Start of issuance of the new banknotes and coins
    - 31.12.1987: Demonetization of the former currency.

Valuation Regimes

  • 1987-2011
  • Variable rate
  • 2011-
  • Fixed rate against US Dollar

Rate Arrangements

  • 01.01.1987
  • Variable
  • initially: US Dollar at 1 : 1.92
  • ±0.0%
  • 04.11.2011
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 6.91
  • -32.8%
  • -


End-year Forex Rates (Units per US Dollar)