Resolution of the (Provisional) General Constituent Assembly on the validity of the bimetallic currency for the United Provinces of Rio de la Plata with a gold-to-silver ratio of 8 Escudos (gold) = 17 Pesos (silver); effective immediately - 07.05.1813: Conquest of Potosí mint by the insurgents and first coin issuance for Rio de la Plata (them mint was retaken by Spain on 01.11.1813). - ??.04.1815: Conquest of Potosí mint by the insurgents and second coin issuance for Rio de la Plata (the mint was retaken for good by Spain on 29.11.1815). - 15.08.1824: Foundation of La Rioja mint and subsequent third coin issuance for Rio de la Plata.
27.05.1820
Government resolution on the issuance of state paper money in Buenos Aires, called "Peso Corriente"; effective immediately
23.02.1822
Law on the establishment of the Discount Bank (Bank of Buenos Aires) as partially state-owned commercial bank with issuing privilege for paper money; effective upon constitution of the bank on 06.09.1822 (the bank failed in 1826 and was liquidated in 1828).
09.01.1826
Government resolution of Buenos Aires on the suspension of the convertibility of the paper money; effective immediately
26.01.1826
Law on the establishment of the National Bank (of the United Provinces of Rio de la Plata) as state-owned commercial bank with issuing privilege for paper money; effective upon constitution of the bank on 11.02.1826
30.05.1836
Presidential decree on the closure of the National Bank and transfer of the issuing privilege for paper money to the State Mint; effective immediately
09.12.1853
Law on the establishment of the National Bank of the Argentine Confederation as state-owned commercial and central bank; effective upon constitution of the bank on 03.02.1854
26.01.1854
Ordinance of the Argentine Confederation on the issuance decimal subsidiary coins in copper; put into circulation on 18.01.1855 (not in Buenos Aires)
10.10.1854
Law on the establishment of the Bank of Buenos Aires as state-owned commercial and central bank; effective immediately (the bank had already opened for business on 01.01.1854 based on a government resolution of 28.12.1853
21.07.1857
Government resolution of Buenos Aires on the stabilization of the paper money against silver at a rate of 1 Peso (silver) = 25 Pesos Corrientes (paper); effective immediately
27.10.1864
Law ["Conversión Monetaria"] of the Argentine Republic, adopted the silver-to-paper ratio of 1 : 25 throughout the country; effective immediately
Valuation Regimes
1813-1826
Metallic currency based on circulating gold and silver coins. Base weight was the Castilian mark / 8 ounces / 8 octaves / 72 grains at 230.047 grams.
1826-1857
Variable rate of the paper currency against the specie coins.
1857-1881
Fixed rate of the paper currency against silver.
Rate Arrangements
18.04.1815
Metallic
Peso: 24'245.10mg AG fine; Escudo: 2'960.16mg AU fine
8½ Pesos (68 Reals) to the Castilian mark of 10¾-deniers silver; 68 Escudos to the Castilian mark of 21-carats gold; 17 Pesos = 1 Escudo => AU : AG = 16.381
21.07.1857
Fixed
[Silver parity] 969.80mg AG fine
Time Period: 1881-1969
Currency: 2nd Argentine Peso
Transition
1 : 25
Sub-units
Peso / 100 Cents
ISO4217
none (informal: ARO)
Timeline
05.11.1872
Law [No. 581] on the establishment of the National Bank of Argentina as state-owned commercial and central bank; effective upon constitution of the bank on 01.08.1873
29.09.1875
Law [No. 773] on the creation of a national currency in the gold standard of 600 Pesos to the kilogram gold 0.900 fine; effective immediately (no coins were produced)
24.10.1876
Withdrawal of Bolivian coins in the northern provinces and exchange into state paper money at a rate of 1 Boliviano = 0.90 Pesos (paper)
01.03.1880
Withdrawal of Bolivian coins of ⅕ Boliviano (called "Chirola") in the northern provinces and exchange into state paper money at rate of initially 0.14 Pesos, later 0.16 Pesos; implemented until 22.02.1882
05.11.1881
Law [No. 1130] on the adoption of the bimetallic standard of the Latin Monetary Union for the national currency; effective immediately
19.10.1883
Law [No. 1354], ordered the commercial bank to issue paper money exclusively in gold (de facto adoption of the gold standard); effective immediately (?)
14.10.1885
Law [No. 1734] on the suspension of the convertibility of paper money; effective immediately. - The notes of the National Bank had already been declared inconvertible by decree of 09.01.1885.
03.11.1887
Law [No. 2216] on the creation of a system of "National Guaranteed Banks (Bancos Nacionales Garantidos)" which were allowed to issue paper money under supervision by the National Bank; effective immediately (?)
07.10.1890
Law [No. 2741] on the creation of the "Exchange Office (Caja de Conversión)" as a currency board to handle the monetary crisis; effective upon constitution of the office on 17.11.1890
16.10.1891
Law [No. 2841] on the liquidation of the National Bank and creation of the Bank of the Argentine Nation as successor as state-owned commercial and central bank; effective upon take over of operations on 18.10.1891
04.12.1895
Ordinance [No. 3321] on the termination of the issuance of gold and silver coins; effective immediately (?)
31.10.1899
Law [No. 3871] on the re-establishment of the gold standard at 44% of 1881 and exchange of the circulating paper money; effective 04.11.1899.
28.03.1935
Law [No. 12155] on the establishment of the Central Bank of the Argentine Republic (splitting off the central bank functions of the Bank of the Argentine Nation); effective upon constitution of the bank on 31.05.1935
Valuation Regimes
1881-1899
Currency based on circulating gold coins and paper money (silver coins circulated as subsidiary)
1899-1914
Fixed rate against gold
1914-1927
Variable rate around the former gold parity (convertibility suspended temporarily on 09.08.1914, indefinitely on 30.09.1914)
1927-1929
Fixed rate against gold (at the former parity)
1929-1949
Variable rate (gold parity suspended on 16.12.1929)
1949-1959
Fixed base rate (official) against US Dollar, restricted to essential transactions. Most transactions at variable effective rates (non-essential imports/exports).
1959-1967
Variable rate
1967-1969
Fixed rate against US Dollar
Rate Arrangements
13.10.1883
Metallic
Peso: 1'451.61mg AU fine
620 Pesos to the kilogram of 0.900 gold
31.10.1899
Fixed
[Gold parity] 638.71mg AG fine
-56.0%
09.08.1914
Variable
initially: [Gold parity] 638.71mg AG fine
±0.0%
25.04.1927
Fixed
[Gold parity] 638.71mg AG fine
-
16.12.1929
Variable
initially: US Dollar at 1 : 4
-41.1%
03.10.1949
Fixed
US Dollar at 1 : 4.72 - Base rate
-
28.08.1950
Fixed
US Dollar at 1 : 5 - Base rate
-5.7%
28.10.1955
Fixed
US Dollar at 1 : 18 [Gold parity (09.01.1957)] 49.37mg AU fine - Official rate
-72.2%
02.01.1959
Variable
initially: US Dollar at 1 : 64.95
-72.3%
13.03.1967
Fixed
US Dollar at 1 : 350
-
Time Period: 1970-1983
Currency: 3rd Argentine Peso
Transition
1 : 100
Sub-units
Peso / 100 Cents
ISO4217
ARL (officially "ARP", later redefined)
Timeline
05.04.1969
Law [No. 18188] on the currency reform; effective 01.01.1970
01.01.1970
Start of currency exchange: - 01.01.1970: Start of issuance of the new banknotes and coins - 30.06.1975: Demonetization of the former currency.
Valuation Regimes
1970-1975
Fixed rate against US Dollar
1975-1983
Variable rate, highly inflationary
Rate Arrangements
01.01.1970
Fixed
US Dollar at 1 : 3.50
±0.0%
18.06.1970
Fixed
US Dollar at 1 : 4.00
-12.5%
06.04.1971
Fixed
US Dollar at 1 : 4.04
-1.0%
30.05.1971
Fixed
US Dollar at 1 : 4.12
-1.9%
07.06.1971
Fixed
US Dollar at 1 : 4.20
-1.9%
25.06.1971
Fixed
US Dollar at 1 : 4.40
-4.5%
30.07.1971
Fixed
US Dollar at 1 : 4.70
-6.4%
25.08.1971
Fixed
US Dollar at 1 : 5.00
-6.0%
03.03.1975
Variable
initially: US Dollar at 1 : 10.00
-50.0%
Time Period: 1983-1985
Currency: 4th Argentine Peso
Transition
1 : 10'000
Sub-units
Peso / 100 Cents
ISO4217
ARP
Timeline
06.01.1983
Law [No. 22707] on the currency reform; effective 01.06.1983
01.06.1983
Start of currency exchange: - 01.06.1983: Start of issuance of the new banknotes and coins - The former banknotes and coins continued to circulate and were demonetized only after the next currency reform (coins on 19.07.1985, banknotes on 30.11.1987).
Valuation Regimes
1983-1985
Variable rate, highly inflationary
Rate Arrangements
01.06.1983
Variable
initially: US Dollar at 1 : 8.11
±0.0%
Time Period: 1985-1991
Currency: Argentine Austral
Transition
1 : 1'000
Sub-units
Austral / 100 Cents
ISO4217
ARA
Timeline
14.06.1985
Presidential decree [No. 1096] on the currency change; effective immediately
15.06.1985
Start of currency exchange: - 15.06.1985: Start of conversion of accounts at a rate of 1 : 1'000; the rate was adapted on a daily basis - 31.07.1985: End of conversion of accounts, final rate: 1 : 1'477.646. - 23.09.1985: Start of issuance of the new subsidiary coins - 31.10.1985: Start of issuance of overprinted banknotes, gradually complemented with new banknotes - 30.11.1987: Demonetization of the former currency and of the overprinted banknotes.
Valuation Regimes
1985-1991
Variable with multiple rates, highly inflationary
Rate Arrangements
15.06.1985
Variable
initially: US Dollar at 1 : 0.80
-2.1%
Time Period: 1992-
Currency: 5th Argentine Peso
Transition
1 : 10'000
Sub-units
Peso / 100 Cents
ISO4217
ARS
Timeline
10.10.1991
Presidential decree [No. 2128] on the currency reform; effective 01.01.1992
02.01.1992
Start of currency exchange: - 02.01.1992: Start of issuance of the new banknotes and coins - 01.01.1993: Demonetization of the former currency.
06.01.2002
Law [No. 25561] on the termination of the fixed rate regime against the US Dollar; effective 11.01.2002 (by decree [No. 71] of 10.01.2002 which also established the devaluation)