Last month, it was announced that Argentina was planning to issue special bills bearing the likeness of Eva Peron, whose full name is Maria Eva Duarte de Peron, widely known as Evita.
The bills are to mark the 60th anniversary of the death of the famous wife of three-time President Juan Domingo Peron.
The new bills are being inspired by the 5-peso bill designed in 1952 after Evita’s death but later scrapped by the dictatorship that took power in 1955, government spokesmen told the Clarin newspaper.
The face of Evita, who died from cancer on July 26, 1952, and is hailed as a champion of the poor, appeared on limited coin issues in 1997 and 2002.
Evita was the second wife of Peron (1895-1974), who was president of Argentina from 1946 to 1955 and again from 1973 to 1974.
Current President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner unveiled the new 100 Argentine pesos bill on Wednesday. Kirchner stated that while the initial printing will be commemorative, she would like to see all 100-peso bills to bear Evita’s image. Should that happen, her face would take the place of 19th century’s President Julio Argentino Roca.
