Centennial of the Discovery of Oil in Argentina
On December 13, 1907, a drilling rig was sent to the booming Patagonian town of Comodoro Rivadavia to look for water; instead, an oil layer was found. This finding was informed to the then Argentine Government, which immediately declared the zone as a reserved property to exploit hydrocarbons.
Upon the 100th anniversary of the discovery of oil in the Argentine Republic, the BCRA issues a series of commemorative coins for circulation in cupronickel, and proof quality in gold and silver in order to pay homage to all those whose work led to the discovery of the oil well.
The coin was designed by Carlos P. Rodriguez.
Out of the total pieces coined for circulation, 5,000 units have a plain edge, each of which is delivered within a case together with a short historical summary and the features of this issuance.
1 peso
Obverse design
The center features the picture of the first oil drilling tower used at the time surrounded by the years “1907” and “2007,” signaling the centennial of the discovery. Below the tower there appear the words “CDRO. RIVADAVIA.”
The legend “REPÚBLICA ARGENTINA” (ARGENTINE REPUBLIC) is arranged to form the upper arch, and the inscription “DESCUBRIMIENTO DEL PETRÓLEO” (DISCOVERY OF OIL) shapes the lower arch.
Reverse design
The left center area shows a drilling rig and the right side displays the face value—“1”—and the word “PESO.” The upper part displays the name of the province, “CHUBUT,” and the exergue contains the coinage year, “2007.”
| FACE VALUE | $1 (one peso) |
| QUALITY | Proof |
| METAL | Silver (Ag 900 / Cu 100) |
| WEIGHT | 25 g |
| DIAMETER | 37 mm |
| PRESENTATION | 1,800 units packed in individual cases and 200 units in double cases (gold/silver), with acrylic capsule and certificate of authenticity |
| NUMBER OF COINS MINTED | 2,000 units |
| MINT | Monnaie de Paris |
| DATE OF ISSUE | 12/14/2009 |
2 pesos
Obverse design
The center features the picture of the first oil drilling tower used at the time surrounded by the years “1907” and “2007,” signaling the centennial of the discovery. Below the tower there appear the words “CDRO. RIVADAVIA.”
The legend “REPÚBLICA ARGENTINA” (ARGENTINE REPUBLIC) is arranged to form the upper arch, and the inscription “DESCUBRIMIENTO DEL PETRÓLEO” (DISCOVERY OF OIL) shapes the lower arch.
Reverse design
The left center area shows a drilling rig and the right side displays the face value—“2”—and the word “PESOS.” The upper part displays the name of the province, “CHUBUT,” and the exergue contains the coinage year, “2007.”
| FACE VALUE | $2 (two pesos) |
| QUALITY | Circulation |
| METAL | Cu 75 / Ni 25 |
| WEIGHT | 10.4 g |
| DIAMETER | 30 mm |
| PRESENTATION | 5,000 units within a case (plain edge), 995,000 units for exchange at face value (reeded edge) |
| NUMBER OF COINS MINTED | 1,000,000 units |
| MINT | S.E. Casa de Moneda (Argentina) |
| DATE OF ISSUE | 12/07/2007 |
5 pesos
Obverse design
The center features the picture of the first oil drilling tower used at the time surrounded by the years “1907” and “2007,” signaling the centennial of the discovery. Below the tower there appear the words “CDRO. RIVADAVIA.”
The legend “REPÚBLICA ARGENTINA” (ARGENTINE REPUBLIC) is arranged to form the upper arch, and the inscription “DESCUBRIMIENTO DEL PETRÓLEO” (DISCOVERY OF OIL) shapes the lower arch.
Reverse design
The left center area shows a drilling rig and the right side displays the face value—“5”—and the word “PESOS.” The upper part displays the name of the province, “CHUBUT,” and the exergue contains the coinage year, “2007.”
| FACE VALUE | $5 (five pesos) |
| QUALITY | Proof |
| METAL | Gold (Au 900 / Cu 100) |
| WEIGHT | 8.064 g |
| DIAMETER | 22 mm |
| PRESENTATION | 800 units packed in individual cases and 200 units in double cases (gold/silver), with acrylic capsule and certificate of authenticity |
| NUMBER OF COINS MINTED | 1000 units |
| MINT | Monnaie de Paris |
| DATE OF ISSUE | 12/14/2009 |