Collection | Highlights

Liberator José de San Martín

Thematic selection of pieces

At the Museum of the BCRA, you will find pieces that pay homage to Argentine national heroes like the Liberator José de San Martín.

He was born in Yapeyú on February 25, 1778. This town, which had been founded by Jesuit missionaries on the banks of the Uruguay River under the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, today is part of the Province of Corrientes.

San Martín was a statesman and military commander whose revolutionary armies were crucial to the independence of Argentina, Chile and Peru. He is recognized as one of the Liberators of South America for his contribution to the self-determination of a large part of Spanish America.

On August 17, 1850, General José de San Martín died in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France. In commemoration of his death, August 17 is a public holiday in Argentina.

In the following rooms of our museum you will find:

Room 6 | Central Bank of Argentina

Gold proof coin minted in 2000 in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the death of General José de San Martín.

Room 4 | Argentine currency at present

5 peso banknote issued on October 1, 2015. Obverse: Portrait of General José de San Martín. Reverse: Design featuring the Liberators of Spanish America—José de San Martín, José Gervasio Artigas, Simón Bolívar, and Bernardo O’Higgins.

5 peso banknote (new design) issued as from 1998. Obverse: Effigy of General José de General San Martín with a supplementary image of the painting “El Abrazo de Maipú” (the Maipu embrace). Reverse: Cerro de la Gloria (Glory Hill), Monument to the Army of the Andes—Mendoza. Artistic work by Uruguayan sculptor Juan Manuel Ferrari.

Room 3 | Conservative republic and the 20th century

50 peso moneda nacional banknote issued in 1966. Obverse: Portrait of General San Martín as a young man. Reverse: “El Paso de los Andes” (the Andes Crossing), a painting by Augusto Ballerini.

5 peso convertible legal tender banknote issued in 1992. Obverse: Effigy of General José de San Martín. Reverse: Cerro de la Gloria (Glory Hill), Monument to the Army of the Andes—Mendoza. Artistic work by Uruguayan sculptor Juan Manuel Ferrari.

These pieces are part of the Museum’s heritage but are not currently on display.

Order of the Liberator San Martín. Extraordinary distinction granted by the Argentine Republic to foreign civil or military officials who, in the exercise of their duties, deserve the highest honor and recognition. Knight grade. It is a part of the San Martín Collection acquired by the Museum in 2015.

Oath of Independence of Peru on July 28, 1821; minted in silver by order of General San Martín. It is a part of the San Martín Collection acquired by the Museum in 2015.

Order of the Sun of Peru. Distinction granted by Peru to citizens and foreigners, both civil and military officials, who have stood out in Arts, Literature, Culture, Politics, and Extraordinary Services to Peru. Grand Cross grade. Minted at the National Mint House of Lima. It is a part of the San Martín Collection acquired by the Museum in 2015.

Silver plated bronze medal commemorating the centennial of the May Revolution: 1810-1910. It is a part of the San Martín Collection acquired by the Museum in 2015.

Copper medal issued by the San Martín Institute commemorating the centennial of the repatriation of San Martín’s curved sword: 1897-1997. It is a part of the San Martín Collection acquired by the Museum in 2015.

Eight real silver coin minted in Peru by order of General José de San Martín in 1822. It is known as “peso de San Martín” (San Martín’s peso) and features the first coat of arms designed by the Liberator with Argentina and Chile’s flags, a symbol of both countries’ liberation from the Spanish rule. It is a part of the San Martín Collection acquired by the Museum in 2015.