They arrived in Argentina the first $20,000 bills and as planned, everything seems to indicate that by mid-October the banknotes imported from China will already be in circulation. There will be a total of about 230 million units.
In August, the BCRA launched another tender for the provision of 540 million of these notes, which will be distributed between March and July 2025. This batch will be added to the 230 million units now that will be launched: 20 million from the third week of October, 130 million in November and 80 million in December.
The first batch arrived under strict security and confidentiality regulations, and to know them we will have to wait for the press kit of the Central Bank that will launch them shortly before putting them into more massive circulation.
It is known that The blue color will predominate on the banknotes that will carry the image of Juan Bautista Alberdiwhich will also have a lot of green. On the back will be the recreation of the birthplace of the lawyer, diplomat, economist, writer, philosopher, journalist and politician.
The BCRA changed several points in the strategy for the implementation of this number of higher denomination bills. “There were changes in logistics. Tickets arrived in advance for to be able to advance in the coordination and programming of the same so that they take to the streets quickly,” sources from the banking entity told Clarín. And this time Casa de Moneda did not participate in the process, but it was a direct tender….
In any case, some tests have already begun to be carried out with the first $20,000 bills at both Banelco and Red Link ATMs.
The idea is to avoid the delays that occurred in May with the $10,000 bill, whose introduction into the financial system remains moderate. The same thing happened with the $2,000 bills, launched in November 2023.
The biggest complication, in general, is the calibration of the cashiers so that they can recognize the dimensions and specifications of the new bills.
Confidentiality this time around attempts to reduce the risks of, as happened with the $10,000, that unreal images end up being made public.
The government of Javier Milei had announced at the beginning of the year the placement of these papers on the market. The printing of larger denomination banknotes aims to “facilitate” transactions in an inflationary context that demands more small billsand makes the logistics of the financial system more efficient and less costly.
According to official data, the demand for money rose 15% in real terms. Currently in Argentina there are 10,887 million banknotes in circulation. 56%, that is, half of the monetary base is $1000 bills, those of the Hornero and José de San Martín 6114.
