The Central Bank of Uruguay was created by article 196 of the Constitution of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay (Republica Oriental del Uruguay) in 1967 acording to the fact that: "There will be a Central Bank of the Republic that will be organized as an autonomous entity as determined by the approved law with the vote of the absolute majority of all the members of each legislative chamber."

Subsequently, in virtue of Law No. 13,594, dated July 6, 1967, it was determined to name it the "Central Bank of Uruguay", so as to avoid understandable confusion derived from the evident similarity with the name of the Bank of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay (Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay).

Its Organic Letter was approved by Law No. 16,696 on March 30, 1995.

Its governence and direction is in charge of a Governing Board made up of three members. It is responsible for the politics and the general administration of the Bank which depends upon, among other services, the Superintendence of Institutions and Financial Intermediation and the Superintendence of Insurance and Reinsurance.

Among its purposes, the following stand out: to oversee the stability of the national monetary unit and to assure the normal functioning of internal and external payments.

Within the several functions that it may complete and lending to the attainment of the cited purposes, the issuance of banknotes and minting of coins is found. It is such that the letter A of Article 7 - Functions - of its Organic letter is established:

"It will have exclusive charge of the issuance of banknotes and coins in all of the territory of the Republic. Regarding the minting of coins, it will be according to the numberal 10) of article 85 of the Constitution of the Republic."

The Central Bank of Uruguay, with the purpose of rendering homage to outstanding cultural personalities in Education, Letters, and Arts, has conceived a coordinated series in paper money.

Considering the importance for its use in the scholarly scope and its undoubtable cultural interest for the public in general, it has been decided to bring -- to such ends -- the present brochure, in which the historian Gerardo Cactano develops a small biography and path of each one of the outstanding personalities who are represented in the cited "Coordinated Series of Banknotes."

Honored personalities on the banknotes that make up the Coordinated Series: