Movie money

Until 1958 the United States prohibited any full-scale photographic reproduction of its paper money. This included the use of American money in films because it was feared that a single frame of the negative could be enlarged onto a printing plate from which passable counterfeits could be made.

Film studios therefore had to use alternatives, especially the worthless but colourful leftovers from the Mexican revolution. The most common were the genuine $5, $10 and $20 Banco del Estado de Chihuahua, which were in such large supply that many of them continued to masquerade as American dollars well into the 1940s. As the hoards of obsolete notes became depleted, however, the film industry produced their own issues, often modifying the revolutionary currency.

These included the following based on Chihuahua notes.

Notes based on the $5 Banco del Estado de Chihuahua

movie dos 50 N 1327924 type 1

movie dos 50 N 1327924 type 1 reverse

movie Estado 50 A 110581 reverse

movie Estado 50 A 110581

Denom	Series	Number	front	back
$1	M	80397
$5	A	103774	black on white	black on white
		103777	black on white	black on white
		103779	black on white	black on white
		242093	black on white	black on white
$50	A	110581	black	red
$50	M	80397

Notes based on the $10 Banco del Estado de Chihuahua

movie Estado 1 A 147886 type 1

movie Estado 1 A 147886 type 1 reverse

movie Estado 1 A 147886 type 2

movie Estado 1 A 147888 type 2 reverse

movie Estado 10 A 147886 cut

movie Estado 10 A 147886 cut reverse

movie Estado 100 A 004187 type 1

movie Estado 100 A 004187 type 1 reverse

movie Estado 100 A 004187 type 2 reverse

movie Estado 100 A 004187 type 2

movie Estado 1000 A 004187 reverse

movie Estado 1000 A 004187

movie Estado 1000 A 182825 type 1 reverse

movie Estado 1000 A 182825 type 1

movie Estado 1000 A 182825 type 2 reverse

movie Estado 1000 A 182825 type 2

Denom	Series	Number	front	back
$1	A	147886	black	green
$1	A	147886	black and orange	green
$10	A	147886	black on grey paper, very crude printing, note has been cut down so a large portion of the design is missing
$100	A	004187	black on white with green serial number, small size (155mm x 68mm)	green with same design
			black	red
			green	red
			brown	red
$1000	A	004187	Villa on horseback: brown	blue
		182825	black	red
			purple	red/orange
			blue	red
			green	crimson

Notes based on the $20 Banco del Estado de Chihuahua

movie Estado 20 A 056117

Denom	Series	Number	front	back
$20	A	056117	black and orange	orange
$20	A	005045	red	green

Notes based on the $1 dos caritas

movie dos 1 L 6908963

movie dos 1 L 6908963 reverse

movie dos 1 L 6908959

movie dos 1 L 6908959 reverse

Denom	Series	Number	front	back
$1	L	6908963	UN PESO, black on white	green
$1	L	6908959	ONE DOLLAR black on white	green

Notes based on the $10 dos caritas

movie dos 10 N 1881253

movie dos 10 N 1881253 reverse

movie dos 50 N 1327924 type 1

movie dos 50 N 1327924 type 1 reverse

Denom	Series	Number	front	back
$10	N	1881253	10 TEN DOLLARS, black on white	green
$50	N	1327924	FIFTY DOLLARS, black on white	green
			FIFTY DOLLARS, black and green, small size (155mm x 68mm)	dark green
			FIFTY DOLLARS, black and green, small size (150mm x 70mm)	light green
		1201597	FIFTY, black and grey	black and grey

Notes based on the $20 dos caritas

movie dos 20 K 4476884

movie dos 20 K 4476884 reverse

Denom	Series	Number	front	back
$20	K	4476884	black on white	green

Many of these notes came on to the market when the stock of Ellis Props & Graphics, the largest prop supply house in Hollywood, was auctioned.