American Bank Note Company print runs

The American Bank Note Company produced the following notes. They engraved special vignettes of Manuel Doblado^{Doblado was born in San Pedro Piedra Gorda, Guanajuato (now Ciudad Manuel Doblado) in 1818. He was a lawyer and professor at Guanajuato State College. He was appointed governor in 1846 but could not occupy the position because he did not have the required age, being only 28 years old at the time.
In 1847 he was elected deputy to the Congress of Querétaro. During the presidential term of Comonfort, he was governor of Guanajuato, but he resigned in 1857, after the coup d’état against Comonfort, and joined the liberal party.
In 1861 he was a member of president Benito Juárez’ cabinet and attempted to avoid the War of Intercession by signing the Treaty of Soledad on 19 February 1862. The English and Spanish forces withdrew but the French did not.
At the beginning of the invasion he resigned from his position in order to enter armed conflict, as he had done before during the War of Reform. He fought against the French in the Sierra of Querétaro, and in November of that same year, he was appointed Governor and Military Commander of Jalisco.
When accompanying Juárez in 1864, he arrived at El Paso del Norte (Ciudad Juárez) where he fell sick. He went to New York and, never having recovered, died on 19 June 1865.} (C 236) and the coat of arms of Guanajuato (C 754).

After the first print run they altered the plates by erasing the series letter.

For the next print runs the ABNC altered the face plates by erasing the serial letter, and then typing it in in black.

The bank order notes of three denominations on 7 September 1907^{ABNC, folder 237, Banco de Guanajuato (1907-1932)}.

These were dispatched, by Wells Fargo & Co. Express, on 15 January 1908^ibid..

The next order was made on 6 May 1912^ibid..

On 18 September the ABNC dispatched 10,000 $5 (D 105001-115000) and 15,000 $10 notes (D 57501-72500). On 15 October it completed the order by dispatching 25,000 $5 (D 115001-140000), 2,500 $10 (D 72501-75000), 2,500 $20 (D 20001-22500), 1,000$50 D 6001-7000, and 50 $100 (D 231-280) and these were received on 26 October.

When Huerta removed the restrictions of the Ley General de Instituciones de Crédito the bank decided to issue $1 and $2 notes. Mr. W. H. Porter, the Assistant Treasurer of the Guanajuato Development Company was in New York and requested models. George W. Bryant, a director of the bank and of the Guanajuato Development Company was staying at the Bellevue Stratford Hotel, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and on 28 November Mr. H. J. Boulvin, of the ABNC, showed him face and back models and gave him a quotation for printing 75,000 $1 and 12,500 $2 notes, which was accepted the next day.

The bank pressed the ABNC for an earlier delivery, as they were desperate for the notes. As before the notes could be issued, they would have to be stamped by the Revenue Office in Mexico City, and have facsimile signatures printed, the bank asked for them to be shipped not to the bank but to the Banco Central Mexicano. On 11 February the ABNC forwarded via the S. S. “Mexico” 5,000 $1 (B 00001-05000) and 12,500 $2 (A 00001-12500) notes and these were received by the Banco Central Mexicano on 9 March. On 19 February it dispatched, via the steamer “Monterey” 40,000 $1 notes (B 05001-45000), received on 11 March, and on 5 March it sent, via the S. S. “Esperanza” the final 30,000 $1 notes (B 45001-75000), received on 25 March.

Meanwhile, on 23 February the bank asked for a quotation for 314,000 notes in seven different denominations. The bank accepted the quotation on 28 February. On 23 March the ABNC said that, unless instructed to the contrary, they would deliver the notes in sheets in order to facilitate the typing of the signatures by the bank^{The sheets would be as follows: $1 – 5 on, $2 – 4 on, $5 – 3 on, $10 – 3 on, $20 – 3 on, $50 – 2 on, and $100 – 1 on}.

Because the bank was in great demand for these notes, the ABNC made partial shipments. On 9 April it forwarded, via the S. S. Mexico, two boxes containing 50,000 $2 (B 12501-62500) and 20,000 $10 (E 75001-95000). On 16 April it sent 10,000 $1 (C 75001-85000), 1,000 $50 (E 7001-8000) and 500 $100 (C 3901-4400).

Even before this order was delivered the bank at the beginning of April inquired about the further order, for an odd number of notes in eight different denominations (12,500 $2, 182,552 $5. 99,306 $10, 28,844 $20, 9,342 $50, 477 $100, 21 $500 and 19 $1,000 notes). Charles Blackmore, the Resident Agent, said that these notes were undoubtedly ordered on account of the loan which has been levied on the banks by the Mexican Government. On 4 May Blackmore wrote to reduce the order by 100,000 $5, 50,000 $10 and 20,000 $20, until further instructions, but to continue working on the balance of the order. Blackmore explained the “notes called for in this bank's last order are to be paid to the Mexican government on account of the loan which has been made on all the banks of the Republic. As it is impossible to receive any shipments of notes from New York on account of the present unsettled conditions the government has given instructions to the banks that they are to have their notes printed here in Mexico. replacing the notes which are printed here by the notes which they receive later on from New York. It is on account of this that Barré de Saint-Leu, the manager of the bank, asked Blackmore to wire instructions to reduce the order.

There was a brief hiccough because of the suspension of shipping facilities and the ABNC’s desire to ensure that it received payment for any work that it did. On 27 April E. N. Gibbs wrote “Referring to the following orders (4178 – 2 pesos, 4179 – 5, 10 and 20 pesos, 4180 – 50 pesos) kindly stop all work until further advised. I understand no work has been done on the 5, 10 and 20 pesos and that only the lithographic transfers have been made on the 2 and 50 pesos. Go ahead with the work on the 100, 500 and 1000 and finish up ready for delivery”. The ABNC also wired the bank “Owing to suspension of all shipping facilities we beg to ask whether you can arrange payment of your order for notes through the Development Company after evidence to them that the work has been finished.” and took the matter up with Mr. Porter, of the Development Company, On 4 May, E. N, Gibbs wrote “Kindly go ahead with all work on the bank’s order for $2, $10, $20 and $50 notes.”

On 20 May Blackmore told the ABNC to ship the notes for the Banco de Guanajuato to Puerto Mexico, but the instruction arrived too late for that week’s shipments. Finally, on 13 June the ABNC forwarded, via the S. S. “Kotonia”, to the Wells Fargo & Co’s Agent at Puerto Mexico, six boxes containing 190,000 $1 (C 85001-275000), 40,000 $5 (E 140001-180000), :11,344 $20 (E 22501-25000 and F 25001-33844). 477 $100 (D 4401-4877) 21 $500 (E 281-299) and 19 $1,000 (E 281-299). On 10 July it completed the order by shipping, via the steamer “Guantanamo”, three boxes with 12,500 $2 (G 62501-75000), 82,522 $5 )F 180001-262552). 49,306 $10 (F 95001-144306) and 9,342 $50 (F 8001-17342).

On 6 October 1931 the company cancelled the plates that it was still holding in its plates vault^{These were:
1 – 10/1 Peso face plate #1 made on order F 3989
2 – 10/1 Peso face plates nos. A2 & A3 made on order F 4100
1 – 10/1 Peso back plate #1 made on order F 3989
2 – 10/1 Peso back plates nos. A2 & A3 made on order F 4100
1 – 8/2 Pesos face plate made on order F 3990
1 – 8/2 Pesos back plate made on order F 3990
2 – 8/5 Pesos face plates nos. A4 & A5 made on order F 4179
2 – 8/5 Pesos back plates nos. A2 & A3 made on order F 4179
1 – 6/10 Pesos face plate made on order of 6/18/1900
1 – 6/10 Pesos back plate made on order of 6/18/1900
1 – 6/20 Pesos face plate made on order of 6/18/1900
1 – 6/20 Pesos back plate made on order of 6/18/1900
1 – 2/50 Pesos face plate made on order of 6/18/1900
1 – 2/50 Pesos back plate made on order of 6/18/1900
1 – 1/100 Pesos face plate made on order of 6/18/1900
1 – 1/100 Pesos back plate made on order of 6/18/1900
1 – 1/500 Pesos face plate made on order of 6/18/1900
1 – 1/500 Pesos back plate made on order of 6/18/1900
1 – 1/1000 Pesos face plate made on order of 6/18/1900
1 – 1/1000 Pesos back plate made on order of 6/18/1900
2 – 1/1 Peso tints nos. 1 & 2 made on order F 3989
2 – 1/2 Pesos tints nos. 1 & 2 made on order F 3990
2 – 1/5 Pesos tints nos. 1 & 2 made on order of 6/18/1900
2 – 1/10 Pesos tints nos 1 & 2 made on order of 6/18/1900
2 – 1/20 Pesos tints nos 1 & 2 made on order of 6/18/1900
2 – 1/50 Pesos tints nos 1 & 2 made on order of 6/18/1900
2 – 1/100 Pesos tints nos 1 & 2 made on order of 6/18/1900
2 – 1/500 Pesos tints nos 1 & 2 made on order of 6/18/1900
2 – 1/1000 Pesos tints nos 1 & 2 made on order of 6/18/1900}.