Enforcing the Ejército Constitucionalista notes

As repeatedly stated, Carranza did not disown the Ejército Constitucionalista notes. However, when, on 27 November 1914, he decreed the issues of the Gobierno del Estado de Chihuahua invalid, many believed that this included the Ejército Constitucionalista (which had the provenance ‘Chihuahua’ prominently on their face) and began to refuse them. Such doubts only added to the existing reluctance to accept the notes because of the problems of forgeries. In the next year, until Carranza took positive steps to withdraw them (see Withdrawal of the Ejército Constitucionalista notes) , they existed on sufferance, even when they had been restamped, and were the subject of continual proclamations.

Thus, in a telegram from the Secretaría de Hacienda dated 19 August 1915 listing the notes in circulation, the Ejército Constitucionalista were stated to be tolerated.

In early October it was said that Manuel Amaya had probably come to Nuevo Laredo to nullify the Ejército Constitucionalista issue (los billetes carrancistas que fueron emitidos en el Estado de Chihuahua cuando el Primer Jefe se encontraba en aquel Estado bajo la protección de las fuerzas villistas)^{or, less likely, the dos caritas with Ejército Constitucionalista de México seals}. As a result moneychangers and businesses in Nuevo Laredo refused to accept this money^{Prensa, 3 October 1915}. The authorities reacted with arrests and threats of punishment. The businessmen in their turn told General Ricaut that they would continue to accept the notes: they had only refused them because of the rumour that they were going to be decommissioned^{Prensa, 4 October 1915}.

On 9 October, because of some misinterpretation, the Telegraph Offices in Veracruz refused to accept Ejército Constitucionalista notes, quickly causing alarm and upset among the general populace who also began to refuse them. Subsecretario Nieto assured the Director General of Telegraphs that they were legal tender, and there was no intention of demonetarizing them, and peace returned^{El Democrata, Monterrey, 10 October 1915}. He sent the same message to the Jefe de Hacienda, Abel Lozano, who circulated it to the various states^{El Democrata, Monterrey, 10 October 1915: Periódico Oficial, Nuevo Leon, 13 October 1915}. A month later, following alarm that had been caused by some notice from the Jefatura de Hacienda, the Jefe de Hacienda again confirmed that the $5 Ejercito Constitucionalista (the so-called white background (de fondo blanco)) were legitimate and consequently legal tender^{El Democrata, Monterrey, 10 November 1915}.

On 23 February 1916, in response to a query, the governor of Durango told the Recaudador de Contribuciones in San Dimas that the Ejército Constitucionalista notes were good^{ADUR, Libro Copiador 303, Telegramas 23 April 1915 - 10 April 1916, p554} On 10 March the Recaudador de Contribuciones in San Papasquiaro, C. L. Rubalcava, asked if they (bonos “aguilitas Viejas”) were also of forced circulation and was told that he had already been sent copies of the notice of 7 March^{ADUR, Fondo Secretaría General de Gobierno, Sección Siglo XIX, Serie Correspondencia, Subserie Revolución, gaveta 7, nombre 42}. On 12 March Celestino Simental, the Secretario General, asked Subsecretario Nieto in Mexico City whether the issue was of forced circulation as businesses were refusing them^{ADUR, Libro Copiador 303, Telegramas 23 April 1915 - 10 April 1916, p600}. Nieto replied that they were, and sent a copy of the relevant circular^{ADUR, Fondo Secretaría General de Gobierno, Sección Siglo XIX, Serie Correspondencia, Subserie Revolución, gaveta 7, nombre 43}.