40 Centesimo Uruguay Copper

1857, Uruguay. Prooflike Copper 40 Centesimos Coin.

Mint Year: 1857

Reference: KM-10.

Mint Place: Lyon (D)

Denomination: 40 Centimos

Weight: ca. 34gm

Material: Copper

Diameter: 38mm

Obverse: Faced sun with sun rays around. Date (1857) below, flanked by privy marks.

Legend: REPUBLICA ORIANTAL DEL URUGUAY (privy mark: anchor) 1869 (privy mark: lion)

Reverse: Denomination (40 Centimos) within wreath.

Exergue: D (mint initial of Lyon)

Uruguay is a country located in the southeastern part of South America. Colonia del Sacramento, one of Uruguay’s oldest European settlements, was founded by the Portuguese in 1680. Montevideo was founded by the Spanish in the early 18th century as a military stronghold. Uruguay won its independence in 1811â€"28 following a three-way struggle among Spain, Argentina and Brazil. It is a constitutional democracy, where the president fulfills the roles of both head of state and head of government.

The Uruguayan Civil War, also known as "Guerra Grande", was a series of armed conflicts that took place between the Colorado Party and the National Party in Uruguay from 1839 to 1851. The two parties received backing from foreign sources including both neighbouring countries such as the Empire of Brazil and the Argentine Confederation as well as imperial powers, primarily the British Empire and the Kingdom of France, but also a legion of Italian volunteers including Guiseppe Garibaldi. The nine-year siege of Montevideo captured the imagination of European writers such as Alexandre Dumas.

After the “Guerra Grande” there was a sharp rise in the number of immigrants, above all from Italy and Spain. The number of immigrants had risen from 48% of the population in 1860 to 68% in 1868. In the 1870s, a further 100,000 Europeans arrived, so that by 1879 about 438,000 people were living in Uruguay, a quarter of them in Montevideo. In 1857, the first bank was opened; three years later a canal system was begun, the first telegraph line was set up, and rail links were built between the capital and the countryside.

The economy saw a steep upswing after the “Guerra Grande”, above all in livestock raising and export. Between 1860 and 1868, the number of sheep rose from three to seventeen million. The reason for this increase lay above all in the improved methods of husbandry introduced by European immigrants.

Montevideo became a major economic centre of the region. Thanks to its natural harbour, it became an entrepôt for goods from Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. The towns of Paysandú and Salto, both on the River Uruguay, also experienced similar development.