History

The Spanish colonial

Spanish colonial real

The silver real was the currency of the Spanish colonies in the Americas and the Philippines. In the seventeenth century the silver real was established at two billon reals or sixty-eight Spanish maravedís. Gold escudos were also issued...

 and Central American Republic real

Central American Republic real

The real was the currency of the Federal Republic of Central America from 1824. Sixteen silver reales equaled one gold escudo. The Central American Republic's real replaced the Spanish colonial real at par and continued to circulate and be issued after the constituent states left the Central...

es both circulated in El Salvador. Between 1828 and 1835, coins were issued specifically for El Salvador. From 1830, various foreign coins were counterstamped for use in El Salvador. In 1877, banknotes denominated in pesos were introduced, with 8 reales = 1 peso. The real ceased to be used in 1889, when El Salvador decimalized.

Coins

Silver coins were issued between 1828 and 1835 in denominations of ½, 1, 2 and 4 reales. All bore a design of a mountain on one face, with the inscription "Moneda Provisional" (Provisional Money). In addition, foreign coins were countermarked. Most were reales denominations, including ½, 1, 2, 4 and 8 reales, but some British sixpences and shilling

Shilling

The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...

s were also countermarked.