What’s $2 pesos to you at Easter?

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Dear reader

How come the dollar sign used to denote the peso uruguayo and what could a Uruguayan coin possibly have to do with Easter?

The current Uruguay currency was adopted in 1993 and subdivided into 100 centésimos.

As far back as the 1770s, the dollar sign was used in business correspondence between the British, Americans, Canadians, and Mexicans in reference to the Spanish-Mexican peso. The peso was known as the "Spanish dollar" in British North America where it was adopted as currency in 1785, together with the term "dollar" and the $ sign.

There are various theories about the origin of the $ sign. The one I like the best postulates that the sign is the result of the evolution of the Spanish and Mexican scribal abbreviation "p" for pesos. This theory, derived from a study of late eighteenth and early nineteenth century manuscripts, puts forward the explanation that the "s" gradually came to be written over the "p" developing a close equivalent to the "$" mark. Hmmm … So, the Uruguayan $1 coin is worth one peso.

Who decides which animals go on which coins? In January 2011 Uruguay released new coins with pictures of wildlife:

50c (centesimos) - Southern Lapwing (tero)
$1 (pesos) - armadillo (mulita)
$2 - capybara (carpincho)
$5 - rhea (ñandú)
$10 - cougar or mountain lion (puma)

The one that intrigues me the most is the $2 coin with a picture of the capybara -- because of this animal’s relationship to Easter celebrations. The carpincho, as it’s known locally, is the world’s largest rodent. Yes, a super large rat (or guinea pig) which as an adult can weigh anywhere between 30 to 60 kilos.

Capybara is derived from Kapiÿva in the Guarani language which means "master of the grasses”, while its scientific name, both hydrochoerus and hydrochaeris, comes from the Greek for water and pig (ýdor = water + choiros = pig, hog). The capybara are semi-aquatic, have slightly webbed feet, no tail and 20 teeth.

Capybara may live in the wild in Uruguay, but they’re also found in zoos around the world, and are even kept as pets in the USA and Canada.

Now, every time 2 pesos pass through your hands, spare a thought for the cuddly capybara because this super-sized rodent with webbed feet, a mammal which can survive under water for several minutes, plays the role of fish for some families at Easter. If you're a person who observes the taboo on meat, you'll know what I mean. Yes, the capygara is a fish substitute.

I understand that during Lent, capybara meat is especially popular in Venezuela. Whether this is so in Uruguay I haven’t been able to confirm, but there are reports of capybara farming. So all you fans of rodent meat, keep an eye out for carpincho on the menu boards in Uruguay and other South American countries. If you want to play it safe, or if you’re vegetarian, go for torta pascualina (spinach and egg pie). Pascua means Easter in Spanish, and while this dish was traditionally eaten at Easter, these days it’s available all year round.

2 pesos may be small change, but the picture of the carpincho also serves to remind us that the capybara are hunted for their pelts or hides some of which made into belts, shoes, gloves and wallets for the Montevideo leather shops.

Capybara in the wild

Happy Easter!

Bye for now
Guapita

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