The BCRA launches the ARS200 banknote featuring the Southern Right Whale on October 26, 2016. This is the second banknote in the new series called “Argentina’s Native Fauna,” which presents a vertical layout on the obverse side. Thus, animals come to the fore as a way of raising awareness about environmental protection. The first banknote—ARS500 featuring a Jaguar— started to circulate in June 2016.
The ARS200 banknote, made of 90 g/m2 cotton paper in a blueish color, has the size of the Peso Series. This banknote will be introduced today through bank branches and ATMs along the country. Like the rest of new banknote series, the new ARS200 banknote will coexist with those currently in circulation.
Image of Federico Sturzenegger, who chaired with Queen Máxima a round table on financial inclusion
The Southern Right Whale has been chosen for being the iconic animal of the Argentine Sea, Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands and for being acknowledged as a National Natural Monument in 1984. More than 4,000 whales approach the Puerto Madryn coast between May and December every year.
The new banknote, with blue as the prevailing color, has strict security measures such as watermarks featuring the southern right whale and the number 200, fibers becoming fluorescent under UV light, and a security thread which is made visible by changing from garnet to greenish yellow. The obverse of the banknote portrays a vertical layout of a southern right whale and the reverse shows an artistic recreation of the whale’s habitat in a horizontal position. Moreover, at the bottom left-hand corner there is a shadowed image of the southern right whale standing for a toy, in an attempt to raise awareness among children. The BCRA views the design of the national currency as a meeting point where Argentinians may contribute to reunion when it comes to honoring our country, and our fauna, thus causing everyone to commit with the environment, joy, and life.
The new ARS200 banknote was presented today at Mar Patagonia Ecocenter in the city of Puerto Madryn, Chubut, among prestigious figures such as Federico Sturzenegger, Governor of the BCRA; Mario Das Neves, Governor of the province of Chubut; Ricardo Sastre, Mayor of Puerto Madryn; and authorities of the Argentine Mint, NGOs representatives related to environmental care and numismatic experts.
The new ARS200 banknote will improve daily economic activities in conjunction with the measures that the BCRA implemented in the past few months such as new channels of payment by mobile phones, electronic checks deposit and the opening of free saving accounts and related debit cards, and electronic transfers for natural persons.
