The (very formal) faces of culture
Senses of national identity in the banknotes of the Uruguayan peso
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18861/ic.2025.20.2.4073Keywords:
semiotics, Uruguay, currency, Uruguayan peso, national identityAbstract
This article proposes an analysis of the design of Uruguay’s national currency from a semiotic perspective. The corpus consists of the front sides of the seven Uruguayan peso banknotes currently in circulation. Through the examination of a set of significant oppositions and a comparative approach involving banknotes from other currencies in the region, the analysis highlights the formality of the portraits featured on the Uruguayan banknotes. This design choice is interpreted as an enunciative mark linked to the formality and official character of the national state.
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