Gobierno Provisional de México Mexico $50 notes

These were Series E and dated 20 October 1914. They has imprint 'MEXICO OFICINA DEL GOBIERNO', title 'EL S. S. ENCARGADO DE LA SRIA. DE HACIENDA, and underprint Type 1. The earliest notes (1 - 200000) had the signature of José Reynoso.

Some notes were revalidated in accordance with the Convention's decree of 17 December 1914 with the legend 'REVALIDADO / por decreto de 17 de diciembre de 1914' on the face and a red round 'E.U. MEXICANOS - TESORERIA GENERAL DE LA FEDERACION' on the reverse.

Later notes (200001 plus) for some reason had the signature of Carlos Esquerro. These will have been overprinted with the revalidation before issue.

We have correspondence that shows that $50 notes were produced at a press in Jojutla, Morelos^{Jojutla is 55 kilometres southwest of Yecapixtla, which suggests they might be references to the same operation but Yecapixtla notes are universally condemned as substandard whilst the $50 revalidated Gobierno Provisional de México notes (if these are the notes in question) are of good quality}. On 28 August 1915 the President Francisco Lagos Cházaro asked Emiliano Zapata to nominate someone to oversee the production of notes, with half going to pay forces in Morelos and the other to forces other than the Ejercitó Libertador del Sur^{AGN, Fondo Emiliano Zapata, caja 15, exp. 19, f. 44-45 telegram Lagos Cházaro, Toluca, to Zapata, Tlaltizapán, 28 August 1915}. On 13 November, in response to a request from Zapata, the Ministro de Hacienda ordered the Oficina Impresora of Jojutla immediately to print $100,000 in $50 notes and to advise Zapata when they were ready^{AGN, Fondo Emiliano Zapata, caja 16, exp. 3, f. 36 telegram J. R. Ahedo to Zapata, Tlaltizapán, 13 November 1915}.

Two days later the Dirección (General de Telégrafos Nacionales?) complained that the Tesorería de la Nación had sent part of its consignment in $50 notes. As businesses were refusing these it was impossible to change them and at least one peon had died from starvation with a $50 note in his hands^{AGN, Fondo Emiliano Zapata, caja 16, exp. 3, f. 46 telegram to Zapata, Cuernavaca 15 November 1915}. Thereafter there were constant complaints from commanders about high value ($20 and $50) notes.

In mid November Coronel Joaquín M. Cruz was appointed interventor for the Oficina Impresora de Billetes in Jojutla^{AGN, Fondo Emiliano Zapata, caja 16, exp. 4, f. 16 Luis Zubitía y Campa, Cuernavaca to Zapata, Yautepec, 17 November 1915}.

Date of issue	Date on note	Series	from	to	total number	total value
19 October 1914^{The Mexican Herald, 20 October 1914}	20 October 1914	E	1		200,000	$10,000,000	with Reynoso signature Convention, acknowledged by Carranza oval Secretaría seal on reverse includes number 19109^{CNBanxico #3229}
							oval Secretaría seal on reverse, round stamp on reverse includes number 71812^{CNBanxico #10752}
				200000			oval Secretaría seal on reverse includes numbers 101218^{CNBanxico #3230} to 151734^{CNBanxico #3893}
			200001	208000	200,000	10,000,000	with Esquerro signature Convention REVALIDADO on face, oval Secretaría seal and round TESORERIA stamp on reverse includes numbers 203628^{CNBanxico #3271} to 207562^{CNBanxico #3275}
			208001	400000	200,000	10,000,000	REVALIDADO on face, dark oval Secretaría seal and dark round TESORERIA stamp on reverse includes numbers 208004^{CNBanxico #3255} to 350804^{CNBanxico #3244}
			400001				includes numbers 484689^{CNBanxico #3249} to 528321^{CNBanxico #3257}

Some notes are known which missed the black overprinting of the series letter and signatures^{For examples see 135030 (CNBanxico #3895), 149725 (CNBanxico #3894), 156079 (CNBanxico #3279)}.

On 15 May 1916 a large quantity of $50 notes that had never left the Oficina Impresora del Timbre were burnt in the Oficina in the presence of Rafael Nieto, Nicédora Zambrano, Alberto J. Pani and other dignitaries. There were 194 packets of 500 sheets of four notes each, and a packet of 347 sheets of four notes each, a total of 389,388 notes with a value of $19,469,400. It is not known whether these were Mexico City or Veracruz, or whether they has already been numbered^{El Demócrata, Tomo III, Núm. 524, 16 May 1916}.