Revolutionary vales

Torreón

Francisco Villa wrote to Lázaro de la Garza, of the Comisión de Hacienda de la División del Norte, on 25 October 1913 about difficulties with the banks and businesses over paper currency, demanding that they send him money or he would resort to force^{LG papers, 1-A-7 letter núm. 326 from Villa, Ciudad Camargo, to de la Garza, Torreón, 25 October 1913}. De la Garza replied that because of the need for hard currency to pay the troops the Comisión had agreed on a new forced loan on banking, industry and commerce to be paid in gold, silver or banknotes (billetes de antigua circulación) which would be exchanged for the local paper currency paper that Villa returned to him. He added a footnote that he felt that they had already made a superhuman effort, given the lack of money in the Comarca^{LG papers, 1-A-14, telegram de la Garza, Torreón, to Villa, Ciudad Camargo. 27 October 1913}. Villa approved because he was desperate for money to pay his troops^{LG papers, 1-A-8, telegram Villa, Santa Rosalia, to de la Garza, Torreón. 27 October 1913}.

Against this background the Comisión de Hacienda issued its own notes, dated 20 November 1913.

On the face these read "EJERCITO CONSTITUCIONALISTA COMISION DE HACIENDA DIVISION DEL NORTE. TORRON, COAH., MEXICO." and on the reverse “Al presentarse a esta Comisión estas boletas con valor en junto de $5.00 o sus múltiples, serán inmediatamente cambiadas por cheques de Banco a Banco. Se tiene en depósito siempre el valor que representan estas boletas y no tienen más objeto que facilitar el cambio. OFICINA AV. JUAREZ No 1220 (CASINO) ABIERTA DE 9 A 12 A M. Torreón, Coah., Noviembre 20 de 1913”  with the seal of the Presidencia Municipal^{On 1 December 1913 Dr. Adolfo Mondragon Bouckhardt, the presidente municipal of Torreón, wrote to the Comisión de Hacienda asking (if it was not inconvenient) to send the Presidencia the stamp (sello marcador) to stamp the paper money that the Tesorería Municipal was going to issue (LG papers, 3-B-59: letter Presidente Municipal, Torreón, to Comisión de Hacienda, Torreón. 1 December 1913)}. and impression of a seal. So these were issued by the Comisión to address the shortage of small change because the bank-on-bank cheques in circulation were for one peso or more, and exchangeable in the Casino de la Laguna.

Though a limited issue, this was acknowledged in the Convention's list of notes of forced circulation in January 1915.

There was a single 50c Ejército Constitucionalista de Torreón note in the municipal treasury of Monclova, Coahuila on 5 April 1915^{AMMon, Fondo Presidencia Municipal, caja 414, Libro copiador de oficios, pag. 138}.

Military issues

Because of the need to pay their troops and obtain supplies various Constitutionalist commanders resorted to issuing vales in lower denominations.

Parras

These notes were printed by the local firm, Tipografia El Aguila. On the face they read "Ejército Constitucionalista. EL PRESENTE ES VALIDO AL PORTADOR POR      á la vista pagadero en la JEFATURA DE ARMAS. Parras, Coahuila, Abril 30 de 1914" and have the signature of Roberto Riojas(?)^{[identification needed]}.

Roberto Riojas

The $5 was in a slightly different type.

There was a single $1 Ejército Constitucionalista de Parras note in the municipal treasury of Monclova, Coahuila on 5 April 1915^{AMMon, Fondo Presidencia Municipal, caja 414, Libro copiador de oficios, pag. 138}.

Múzquiz

At the beginning of January 1914 it was reported that because of the trouble that the Brigada Guadalupe Victoria was having in paying its costs, it has been decided to issue notes (bonos) for $1,000,000^{¡Patria Libre!, Durango, Tomo II, Núm. 4, 10 January 1914}. These were probably the same as the notes issued by the Mayor Jefe de las Armas in Múzquiz, though they are dated to May.

Known values are 10c, 20c and 50c. On the face these state “Reembolsables por la Jefatura de Armas de esta Plaza. MUZQUIZ, MAYO 18 DE 1914. EL MAYOR JEFE DE LAS ARMAS. M. S. González.” and on the reverse “La presente nota será de circulación transitoria estrictamente local. Su valor representado será satisfecho a la vista en billetes emitidos por el Gobierno Constitucionalista.” so these were a temporary measure.

These are either handsigned or have the printed name of M. S. González.

Miguel S. González was born in Coahuila in 1870. On Madero’s assassination he joined Villa’s División del Norte and took part in the taking of Torreón at the front of the Brigada “Guadalupe Victoria”.

By March the Brigada had moved on to Sombrerete, in Zacatecas, where they were lacking food due to the non-acceptance of Constitutionalist bonos^{¡Patria Libre!, 5 March 1914} . How does this fit with a May date for the notes?