$100 notes of the Banco Nacional de México

(To date I have not expended much energy on reconstructing the tables for the Banco Nacional de México because in the archives of the Banco de  México is a register Actas de Emisión No 1 which records, over 299 pages, 145 meetings of the board from 25 August 1885 to 30 April 1918. These includes 126 lists of dates of issues, covering 51 different dates from 1 January 1885 to 11 December 1913^{José Antonio Bátiz Vázquez, "Los Billetes de Banamex", in El Boletín Numismático, vol. 183, April-June 1999}. I hope that one day I will be able to summarise this record.)

New models

In May 1913, following the attempt to counterfeit this denomination, the bank decided to replace the note. On 7 May the ABNC’s Vice President wrote “If the Bank should decide, in view of these counterfeits, to make a change in the present notes, I would offer to have new models and engravings made, introducing some multicolor work in these notes, which will make counterfeiting much more difficult. If they would consider this and have a new issue of all the denominations made, we will prepare all these new engravings and plates without charge, simply charging them for the printing of the notes as heretofore. I don’t know whether you have some multicolor specimens among your bank notes, but if not we will gladly have a book prepared and send the same to you as soon as possible.” and on 21 May added “Having already advised you as to what our Company is prepared to do, in case the bank should decide to have an entirely new issue, I will not make any further comments on this subject. However, bearing in mind that the 100 Peso Notes are being recalled, we will have a model of this note prepared, in order to save time, and submit it to you for presentation to the officials of the bank, embodying in said model the best safeguards against forgery known to any Bank Note Company. We will send you this model as soon as ready”^{ABNC, folder 158, Banco Nacional de México (1913)}.

On 9 June the Resident Agent, Charles Blackmore, reported that he had been promised the order, and that “the only thing which is delaying the placing of the order is that the Directors are having difficulty in choosing a suitable design for the vignettes. I have done all I can to aid them in this by presenting them with several photographs of well known Mexican subjects and type. The pictures I collect for them contained some beautiful subjects, which would have made splendid vignettes. but so far they have come to know definite decision.”

On 11 June New York sent a new model for a $100 face, a new model for a $100 back, and four face proofs with different multiolor tints. It noted that the only hitch in getting the order for the $100 notes was a decision on the vignette, but told Blackmore not to let the price of a special vignette stand in the way of obtaining the order. Blackmore received the models on 24 June and two days later wrote, “Mr. Legorreta, after studying the models you have prepared for their new 100 Peso Notes. told us that he did not care for the new model of the Face, or for the combinations of the multicolor tints worked into the old note. He liked the models for the Back, with this exception, but the eagle with the spread wings on one of the models is the American Eagle and he does not consider it appropriate for a Bank Note of the Banco Nacional de Mexico.
He has taken a fancy to the 100 Peso Note for the Banco de Chile, Valparaiso, and to the 10 Dollar Note of the Royal Bank of Canada, Halifax, N.S., and he asked me to cable you requesting you prepare models similar to those two notes. Substituting in the former the Mexican Coat of Arms for the Shield and Star which at present appears on the Banco de Chile note, and if possible using a light blue tint in place the yellow tint.
For the Back he wishes a special vignette (design of which will be furnished later by the Bank) with counters on either side of the vignette.
The Bank Officials wish to change the whole design of the note, yet at the same time they wish to retain somewhere in their notes the picture of a woman which are present appears vignetted on all of their notes. They wish to know if you can have a special paper prepared having a watermark similar to the vignette and if so what the additional cost would be.
Personally I see little advantage in having this watermarked paper prepared for surely the watermark would not show up through the printing. Of this however I am not in a position to judge accurately.”

The ABNC replied on 1 July, “we are, as you request, preparing new models for the 100 Peso Note for the above Bank.
As you are no doubt aware, the notes of the Banco de Chile are rather old fashioned and do not contain any multicolor work but in view of your cable we are preparing a model along the same general lines as of this note, showing double litho tints in blue and pink and substituting the Coat-of-Arms of Mexico from the Arms of Chile as shown on the Bank Note referred to. On this back model we will indicate by means of a stock vignette the place where the special vignette, which is to be furnished, will appear.
With regard to the other model, which we understand, you wish to be similar to the Notes of the Royal Bank of Canada, Halifax branch, we suppose you mean that these are to have a multicolor border and the model is to be made-up along these lines. This note, as you will see from your specimen book, has a multicolor back. In other words, an extra printing on the back. While we stated in our letter of June 14th that that would be no additional charge for multicolor tints in place of double litho tints we meant on the face only. If multicolor tints are wanted on the back you will see that this will necessitate an extra printing on which we had not calculated: accordingly, we are submitting no model of the back for this class of note, simply sending you one back model following the backs of the Banco de Chile. Of course, if a model showing multicolor work on the back is wanted, we will be glad to prepare the same, but want you to make plain to your customer that this will necessitate an increase in price, owing to the extra printing.” On 14 July, it added “You made no reference in your telegram to the vignette of the woman's head which heretofore has always appeared on almost all their notes, and in making up the new models we omitted the same, simply showing the vignettes referred to in your telegram. However, as we now judge from your letter that they wished to retain this vignette somewhere on their note, we are preparing a third model showing this head on the face leaving space for the special vignette on the back. We will not show any vignettes of the Coats of Arms of Mexico on this model, but will design it in accordance with our own ideas and will send it to you as soon as possible.
With reference to having a watermark in the paper with this vignette, we agree with you that this would not show up at all and we certainly would not advise the bank to adopt this scheme. As you know, the bank now uses special watermarked paper, but if they wish this vignette to appear as a watermark it would necessitate the preparation of a dandy roll which could cost from $200 to $300.
We have never placed much faith in watermarks as a prevention against counterfeiting, as the watermark is very easily forged by means of sensitized gelatine, and also unless a note is especially engraved with a space left for the watermark this latter is practically hidden, and it is very nearly impossible to see the same. A watermark of this kind offers no protection where it is so hard to see. We place our faith altogether in the skill of our engravers and the use of our multicolor tints, which afford such a protection against counterfeiters by photography. A note with a finely engraved vignette protected as much as possible by anti-photographic colours we contend to be as secure against duplication as any note made.”

On 30 August Blackmore wrote “Under separate cover and registered I take pleasure in sending you the following models and photographs in connection with the order placed by the Banco Nacional de Mexico for 100,000 Notes of the 100 Peso denomination
(1) One model of multicolor face, with attached cutting of Mexican Coat of arms which is be copied for the vignette.
(2) Three models of back, marked respectively 1, 2, & 3
(3) Three different photographs of Chapultepec Castle, from which the vignette for the back is to be made.
FACE
The face of the note is to be exactly the same as the model I am sending you with the following exceptions:=
a. The vignette of the Mexican Eagle which you show on the model is to be replaced by an engraving to be made from the cutting which is attached to the model, which cutting Mr. Legorreta claims is the correct Mexican Coat of Arms and much more artistic than the one shown on the model. The new engraving however is to be the same size as the vignette which at present appears on the afore-mentioned model.
b. The background of the space left for the signatures is to be printed in light green instead of black, in order that the signatures may show up more clearly. The line dividing the blue pantograph tint and the green tint of the background for the signatures to be also in green.
c. The blue pantograph tint will naturally bear the name of the Bank.
NUMBERING. The numbering in the notes is to be from No.1 to No. 100000.The Serie letter to be printed in by the Bank here in Mexico.
DATE. The date to be left in blank
SIGNATURES. No signatures are to be printed on these notes.
BACK
The Bank Officials are very much taken with the effective design of the counters which appear on Model No. 2, and would like the back of their new note, if it is possible, to have these counters, enlarged, on either side, having a vignette of Chapultepec Castle in the center, eliminating the eagle altogether. Showing in as many places as is possible, without spoiling the effect of the whole design, the figure “100” and the letter “C”.
If however you unable to conveniently make up the back by using and enlarging the counters of Model No. 2, they select model No. 1, showing in the center a vignette of Chapultepec Castle.
COLOUR. The colour of the back is to be in the same green is in models Nos. 1 & 2.
VIGNETTES. I an sending you three photographs of the Castle, but the one they have chosen for the vignette is the one marked. The other two, though different views, I am sending as they show more details of the building and may be of some help to your artist. The amount of scenery around the Castle which will appear in the final vignette is left to your own good discretion, but they would like some of the lake to appear in the picture.
PAPER. I was successful in inducing them to give up the idea of the water-marked paper, but they insist on having planchetted bank note paper used.
PRESS PROOF. After the plates have been prepared and before you proceed with the printing of the notes, the Bank Officials desire you to send them a press proof of the face and back for their inspection.
Mr. Legorreta particularly impressed upon me his wish that I request you to rush this work as much as possible and also that you follow out exactly the model of the face. I assured him that you will do your very best as to delivery and that you will turn out the very best work possible.
I made no mention as to prices, thinking it advisable as there are two special vignettes to be engraved to await your advices in connection with this matter, taking into consideration also the fact that special paper is to be used.”

The bank confirmed their verbal order for 100,000 notes on 2 September.

ABNC engraved special vignettes of the national coat-of-arms (C 1363) and Chapultepec castle (C 1369) for a new $100 note.