1878 50-peseta banknote: what it is and what to do if you have one
If you have in front of you a banknote on which you can read EL BANCO DE ESPAÑA, 50 PESETAS and the date January 1, 1878, this is what you have: the banknote cataloged as Pick-14 and Edifil 272.
It is part of the January 1, 1878 issue: the Golden Age issue, and the only one in Spanish history to include a 250 pesetas denomination.
Here you have who or what appears on it, how to distinguish it from those that look like it, how to check if yours is original, and what to do if you want to sell it. You will not find prices: I explain why below.
Calderón de la Barca: who is the face on this banknote
Pedro Calderón de la Barca (Madrid, 1600 - 1681) concludes the Golden Age of Spanish theater. Life is a Dream and The Mayor of Zalamea are still performed today; the autos sacramentales he wrote for the Madrid Corpus Christi were, in their time, mass entertainment.
His appearance on the 50 pesetas of 1878 should be noted well, because it is one of the most repeated confusions: Calderón is on the 50 pesetas of 1878, not on the 100 of 1880, which corresponds to Quevedo. If someone appraises a banknote for you without distinguishing this, be suspicious of the rest of the appraisal.
Banknote fact sheet
| Face value | 50 pesetas |
|---|---|
| Date of the banknote | January 1, 1878 |
| Pick Catalog | P-14 |
| Edifil Catalog | 272 |
| Printer | Banco de España workshop, Madrid |
| Print run | 1,100,000 copies |
| Dimensions | 140 × 75 mm |
| Put into circulation | May 1882 |
| Obverse | Portrait of Pedro Calderón de la Barca |
| Reverse | Allegorical female portraits and geometric designs with the legend "SERIE DE CINCUENTA PESETAS" |
How to know if yours is original
It is worth knowing this above all else, because far more reproductions than originals of Spanish banknotes from this era circulate: collector's prints from the seventies and eighties, catalog facsimiles, and press reprints.
This banknote was engraved and printed in the Banco de España workshop in Madrid, using chalcographic technique on linen paper. This leaves specific marks that a modern reproduction does not have:
- Raised ink feel. Run your fingertip over the portrait, the figures, and the letters of the title: on an original, you can feel the raised ink. An offset-printed facsimile is completely flat.
- Engraved line, not screen. With a ten-power magnifying glass, the original portrait is resolved into fine, continuous lines. If you see a grid of dots, it is modern printing.
- Watermark in the pulp. When held up to the light, it should appear formed within the paper, not printed on top.
- Cotton linen paper, rough and resonant when shaken. Modern coated paper is smooth and cold.
Specific checks for this banknote
- Measure it. This banknote measures 140 × 75 mm. Photographic copies almost always lose two or three millimeters, so a ruler resolves many doubts in ten seconds.
- Check the exact motif. On the obverse — portrait of Pedro Calderón de la Barca. On the reverse — allegorical female portraits and geometric designs with the legend "SERIE DE CINCUENTA PESETAS".
- Keep the print run in mind. 1,100,000 copies were printed, but that was over 140 years ago and the vast majority were withdrawn and destroyed.
I will confirm it for you for free. If it turns out to be a reproduction, I will tell you just the same: I gain nothing by making you believe otherwise.
Original or facsimile? I will tell you today, no strings attached
WhatsApp +34 644 54 98 79
info@iberoamericanabanknotes.com
What makes it worth more or less
For this banknote, as with the entire nineteenth-century series, preservation is king, and just behind it are repairs: a washed, ironed specimen with taped tears or trimmed margins loses a great deal, even if it "looks better."
I do not publish price ranges, and here is why: the value depends entirely on the specific specimen, and that does not fit into a table. A generic figure from the internet only serves to lead to disappointment. Send me photos and I will value your banknote, not "one like yours."
And before showing it to anyone: do not iron it, do not wash it, do not tape anything with scotch tape, and do not put it in soft PVC. All four things are irreversible. I explain this in detail in the guide to selling old banknotes.
How I buy them from you
You send me photos via WhatsApp —obverse, reverse, a detail of the numbering, and one held up to the light— and I will reply in less than 24 hours telling you what you have and, if I am interested, with a firm offer. I pay for shipping, and I transfer the funds the same day I receive and verify the piece; if it does not match the photos, I will return it to you and I will pay for the return postage.
I am Fran, from Iberoamericana Banknotes, an authorized PMG dealer. I can also value it for you just for insurance or inheritance purposes, without selling anything, and I can manage the grading by PMG or consignment for you.
I buy throughout Spain, wherever you live, and the process is always this. If you are nearby, in any council in Asturias I will go to your home to see it at no cost, and you can also bring it to my store in Gijón, at Calle Cabrales 77, by appointment.
Frequently asked questions
Who is on the 50 pesetas banknote of 1878?
Calderón de la Barca. On the obverse — portrait of Pedro Calderón de la Barca.
How many were printed?
The print run was 1,100,000 copies. Beware of a common confusion: a high print run in the 19th century does not mean that many remain today. These banknotes were systematically withdrawn and destroyed, and what counts is how many survive, not how many were made.
How do I know if mine is original or a reproduction?
The fastest way: look at the portrait with a magnifying glass (continuous engraved line in an original, screen of dots in a copy) and run your finger over the letters looking for relief. If you have doubts, send me photos and I will tell you for free, even if it turns out to be a facsimile.
How much is the 50 pesetas banknote of 1878 worth?
It depends entirely on the specimen: conservation, margins, and any repairs move the price drastically. I do not give blind figures because they would not be honest. With photos, I can tell you what yours is worth in less than 24 hours.
Do you buy it even if it is circulated or has defects?
Yes, as long as it is original and not restored. In banknotes from this era, honest circulation is not a problem; what really penalizes it is the repair.
The other banknotes from this issue
- 100 pesetas banknote of 1878 — Garcilaso de la Vega
- 250 pesetas banknote of 1878 — Fernando de Herrera
- 500 pesetas banknote of 1878 — Pablo de Céspedes
- 1000 pesetas banknote of 1878 — Cervantes
Other 50 pesetas banknotes from the Banco de España
If you aren't quite sure which one yours is, compare it with these: they are all 50 pesetas but from different issues.
- 50 pesetas banknote of 1874 — Rafael Esteve
- 50 pesetas banknote of 1875 — allegories of commerce
- 50 pesetas banknote of 1880 — Campomanes
- 50 pesetas banknote of 1884 (January issue) — Mendizábal
- 50 pesetas banknote of 1884 (July issue) — Bravo Murillo
- 50 pesetas banknote of 1886 — Goya
- 50 pesetas banknote of 1889 — Goya (second issue)
- 50 pesetas banknote of 1893 — Jovellanos
- 50 pesetas banknote of 1898 — Jovellanos
- 50 pesetas banknote of 1899 — Quevedo
- 50 pesetas banknote of 1902 — Velázquez
- 50 pesetas banknote of 1905 — Echegaray
- 50 pesetas banknote of 1906 — allegory with the caduceus
- 50 pesetas banknote of 1907 — Burgos
- 50 pesetas banknote of 1927 — Alfonso XIII
- 50 pesetas banknote of 1928 — Velázquez and the Prado Museum
- 50 pesetas banknote of 1931 — Eduardo Rosales
- 50 pesetas banknote of 1935 — Santiago Ramón y Cajal
General guide: selling old Banco de España banknotes. And if more pesetas have appeared in the same drawer, I'll tell you which peseta banknotes and coins have value.
Send me a photo of the obverse and another of the reverse and I will tell you today what you have.
WhatsApp +34 644 54 98 79