$1,000 Banco Minero note
One thousand $1,000 notes, numbered 0001 to 1000, were printed by the American Bank Note Company in February 1902 and eight hundred were issued in the years up to 1909.
Two days after the 1908 robbery in which one hundred $1,000 notes were taken, the bank asked the American Bank Note Company to prepare a new designABNC, letter, Juan A. Creel to ABNC, 3 March 1908. On 23 March the ABNC sent two models for the face and back of the noteABNC, letter 23 March 1908.
The bank approved the multicolour model with a few amendments to the face and asking that instead of the vignette of three miners on the reverse there be a vignette of their new head offices, based on an engraving they enclosed.
They even specified the numbering and contraseñasABNC, letter, Juan A. Creel to ABNC, 30 March 1908. The specification was:
Numbers: Serie: Countermarks:
1 - 40 A. M. K. 125
41 - 80 B. W. N. 301
81 - 120 C. X. J. 376
121 - 160 D. A. D. 408
161 - 200 E. B. C. 177
201 - 240 F. D. X. 233
241 - 280 G. E. F. 392
281 - 320 H. H. L. 222
321 - 360 I. J. O. 575
361 - 400 J. K. M. 636
401 - 440 K. C. Z. 774
441 - 480 L. F. W. 288
481 - 520 M. V. W. 812
521 - 560 N. G. D. 555
561 - 600 O. Y. A. 583
601 - 640 P. H. B. 390
641 - 680 Q. X. E. 322
681 - 720 R. I. W. 999
721 - 760 S. Z. F. 144
761 - 800 T. J. G. 915
801 - 840 U. U. H. 973
841 - 880 V. K. M. 197
881 - 920 X. R. L. 218
921 - 960 Y. A. B. 388
961 - 1000 Z. L. Z. 932. However, when the stolen $1,000 notes were returned, on 8 May the bank immediately wired the ABNC to tell them to stop work. In a letter the following day the bank explained that since they had recovered all the missing notes, the new design was not needed.
The bank had previously complained about the fading of the signatures on the $1,000 notes and in January 1909 wrote that, because this continued to be a problem, it was contemplating changing to the new designABNC, letter, Juan A. Creel to ABNC, 9 January 1909. In March the ABNC furnished an engraved face proof, in which they had arranged more space for the signatures by reducing the bracket under the vignettes, a proof of the counter where the value “1000 Pesos” was to be engraved, and a proof of the back counter, in the centre of which would appear the engraving of the buildingABNC, letter 12 March 1909. In September the bank was still toying with the idea of a new $1,000 note, but was also contemplating using the vignette of the building (for which they had paid) on other items such as letterheads, cheques, letters of credit or bank statementsABNC, letter Juan A. Creel to ABNC, 12 March 1909.
This face proof belongs to this abortive issue.
In one of his letters Juan Creel refers to $1,000 notes held in Chihuahua that were incinerated without any official authorisation. This must refer to the quartered notes that were returned by the robbers in 1908 or to an incineration in 1911 when the political situation was unstable.
In March 1914 the American Bank Note Company printed another 1,500 notes in the original design, but though these were shipped to Mexico, they spent six years in storage there before finally being incinerated. In May 1914 these notes were understood to be held in the Banco Central Mexicano, awaiting authorisationCEHM, Fondo Creel, 23566 and four hundred and fifty notes (1551 to 2000) were authorised by the Secretaría de Hacienda on 7 July 1914 but, because they were too large a denomination to circulate easily, on 1 August 1914 the Bank asked to change the authorisation to $450,000 in five and ten pesos notesCEHM, Fondo Creel, 22041, letter of Enrique C. Creel, 1 August 1914.
However, it seems that the notes never left the Wells Fargo office in Veracruz. In August 1917 Juan A. Creel was writing to Enrique Creel about arranging with that office to cancel and incinerate all the notes they were holdingCEHM, Fondo Creel, 49047, letter of Juan A. Creel, 6 August 1917, but as both Creels were out of the country it took years to come to fruition. Juan raised the subject again in January 1919CEHM, Fondo Creel, 56449, letter of Juan A. Creel, 20 January 1919, but Enrique hesitated because of the remote possibility that the Banco Minero might continue as a bank of issueCEHM, Fondo Creel, 56916, letter of Enrique C. Creel, 23 January 1919. However, by February they had agreed to pay Wells Fargo’s bill, and incinerate the notes. The 1,500 notes (numbered 1001-2500) were finally destroyed on 17 April 1920CEHM, Fondo Creel, 66473, letter of Juan A. Creel, 26 April 1920.
To summarise:
| Date of issue | Date on note | Series | from | to | Gerente | Presidente | Interventor | code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 January 1903 | 1902 | A | 0001 | 0025 | 0013, 0017, 0022 and 0025 taken in 1908 robbery | ||||
| B | 0026 | 0050 | 0030, 0031, 0043 and 0049 taken in 1908 robbery | ||||||
| C | 0051 | 0075 | 0053, 0065 and 0066 taken in 1908 robbery | ||||||
| D | 0076 | 0100 | 0077, 0090, 0093 and 0097 taken in 1908 robbery | ||||||
| 2 March 1903 | E | 0101 | 0125 | 0102, 0108, 0109, 0110, 0116, 0118 and 0121 taken in 1908 robbery | |||||
| F | 0126 | 0150 | 0134, 0136, 0138 and 0139 taken in 1908 robbery | ||||||
| G | 0151 | 0175 | 0158, 0159, 0162, 0172 and 0173 taken in 1908 robbery | ||||||
| H | 0176 | 0200 | 0179, 0183, 0185 and 0196 taken in 1908 robbery | ||||||
| I | 0201 | 0225 | 0207, 0208, 0209 and 0214 taken in 1908 robbery | ||||||
| J | 0226 | 0250 | 0229, 0237, 0238, 0242, 0244, 0249 and 0250 taken in 1908 robbery | ||||||
| K | 0251 | 0275 | 0257. 0258, 0261, 0263, 0264 and 0275 taken in 1908 robbery | ||||||
| 30 April 1903 / 1902 | L | 0276 | 0300 | FW 288 | 0281, 0284, 0287, 0290, 0292, 0293, 0294, 0295 and 0297 taken in 1908 robbery | ||||
| M | 0301 | 0325 | 0301, 0311, 0316 and 0322 taken in 1908 robbery | ||||||
| N | 0326 | 0350 | 0336, 0345, 0347, 0349 and 0350 taken in 1908 robbery | ||||||
| O | 0351 | 0375 | overprinted "HERMOSILLO"CEHM, Fondo Creel, 82, 86624, telegram, 7 April 1908 0351, 0353, 0357, 0358, 0360, 0364, 0366, 0367, 0368, 0369, 0371, 0372, 0373, 0374 and 0375 taken in 1908 robbery |
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| P | 0376 | 0400 | overprinted "HERMOSILLO"ibid. 0376, 0377, 0380, 0382, 0384, 0385, 0388, 0389, 0391, 0394, 0395, 0396, 0398, 0399 and 0400 taken in 1908 robbery |
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| 10 July 1908 | 10 July 1908 / 1908 / 1902 | Q | 0401 | 0425 | J. A. Creel | Ochoa | Cuellar | XE 322 | |
| R | 0426 | 0450 | IW 999 | ||||||
| S | 0451 | 0475 | ZF 144 | ||||||
| T | 0476 | 0500 | JG 915 | ||||||
| U | 0501 | 0525 | VH 973 | ||||||
| V | 0526 | 0550 | KM 197 | ||||||
| W | 0551 | 0575 | RL 218 | ||||||
| X | 0576 | 0600 | AB 388 | ||||||
| 30 November 1909 | 10 November 1909 / 1909 / 1902 | Y | 0601 | 0625 | J. A. Creel | L. Terrazas | Cuellar | LZ 932 | |
| Z | 0626 | 0650 | OH 466 | ||||||
| A1 | 0651 | 0675 | MA 808 | ||||||
| B1 | 0676 | 0700 | PB 754 | ||||||
| C1 | 0701 | 0725 | ND 123 | ||||||
| D1 | 0726 | 0750 | XX 272 | ||||||
| E1 | 0751 | 0775 | SS 368 | ||||||
| F1 | 0776 | 0800 | AA 419 | ||||||
| 1902 | 0801 | 0825 | not issued | ||||||
| 0826 | 0850 | ||||||||
| 0851 | 0875 | ||||||||
| 0876 | 0900 | ||||||||
| 0901 | 0925 | ||||||||
| 0926 | 0950 | ||||||||
| 0951 | 0975 | ||||||||
| 0976 | 1000 | ||||||||
| N1 | 1001 | 2000 | dispatched by ABNC on 21 May 1914CEHM, Fondo Creel, 92, 23566; authorisation requested 6 July 1914CEHM, 86, 22030; authorised 7 July 1914, prepared for reopening of Chihuahua branchCEHM, Fondo Creel, 86, 22031,then changed for $5 and $10 notesCEHM, Fondo Creel, 86, 22041; incinerated 17 April 1920in Gómez Palacio, before Notario Antonio Sánchez Aldama (CEHM, Fondo Creel, 003, 22041) | ||||||
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| J2 | 2001 | 2500 | dispatched by ABNC on 21 May 1914CEHM, Fondo Creel, 92, 23566; incinerated 17 April 1920in Gómez Palacio, before Notario Antonio Sánchez Aldama (CEHM, Fondo Creel, 003, 22041) | ||||||
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