Warship bargains priced in an international currency

The prices of the two namesakes illustrate Argentina's recurring reliance on overseas warship purchases. Both acquisitions are described as bargains, especially the £25,000 cost of the earlier training ship beside the later cruiser's six-million-peso price. Because the buyer and shipyard represented different countries, sterling served as the common financial language for the transaction. The comparison with the modern dollar places naval procurement inside a wider international credit and currency system.