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The $1 and $2 notes of the Banco Oriental de México

The Banco Oriental was one of the banks that took advantage when on 19 November 1913 Huerta permitted the banks to issue $1 and $2 notes.

On 4 January a meeting of around eighty people was held in the Cámara de Comercio de Puebla, to discuss the matter of the notes of the state banks. They decided to ask President Huerta to decree their forced circulation and agreed to send a commission, including Manuel Rivero Collarda, to Mexico City to hold the necessary meetings with the Secretaría de Hacienda. In particular the commission would seek authorization for the Banco Oriental to issue 50c and $1 notesEl Diario, Año VIII, Núm. 2099, 5 January 1914.

The American Bank Note Company

The bank originally had discussion with the American Bank Note Company about a 50c issue.  On 21 January 1914 Charles Blackmore, the ABNC’s Resident Agent in Mexico City, reported that when Manuel Rivero Collada gave him the details for the fifty centavos notes he said he was going to await the receipt of models before asking the Government for the necessary authority to issue the notes and that he could tell Enrique Creel of the Banco Minero de Chihuahua as in all probability Collada and Creel would work in unison and issue these fractional currency notes at the same timeABNC. The ABNC did get to the stage of producing proofs and specimens.

Oriental 50c 00000

Oriental 50c 00000 reverse

On 27 February the Banco Minero wrote that they waited until they knew whether the Banco Oriental had been successful in securing permission to issue 50 centavos notes, because it seems that if they could not obtain authority neither would the Banco MineroAmerican Bank Note Company, so it might be that the bank sought permission in February. In fact, Huerta did not authorise the issue of 50c notes until 30 March.

The bank did get the ABNC to produce 50c, $1 and $2 notes in June and July 1914. The $1 and $2 notes were never delivered to the bank and were destroyed in December 1924.

Oriental 1 00000

Oriental 1 00000 reverse

Oriental 2 00000

Oriental 2 00000 reverse

American Book and Printing Company 

Meanwhile the American Book and Printing Company of Mexico City produced $1 and $2 notes. These are known in two different varieties: various dates in January or February with round seals on their face, or notes dated 1 February or 22 February with square seals.

Oriental 1 NN 1551032

Oriental 1 NN 1551032 reverse

Oriental 1 detail 1  

 Oriental 1 MN 1334057

Oriental 1 MN 1334057 reverse

Oriental 1 detail 3   Oriental 1 detail 4

 

Oriental 2 226625

Oriental 2 226625 reverse

Oriental 2 402174

Oriental 2 402174 reverse

Because of these differences by mid May there was alarm that the notes had been been counterfeited and some people refused to accept notes with the square resello. The bank’s lawyer, Nicanor Gurría Urgell, told the newspapers that all the notes were genuine, and the different seals were a security measure against counterfeitersEl País, Mexico, Tomo I, Año X, Núm. 4620, 18 May 1914; El Correo Español, 18 May 1914; El Imparcial, Tomo XXXV, Núm. 6450, 18 May 1914. The next day the bank amplified its explanation. The bank kept a secret register in which it recorded the serial numbers of notes and the corresponding seal. Thus serial numbers 1-700 has one seal, 701-1300 another, 1301-1900 the first or yet another, and so on. This would confuse potential counterfeiters. The  bank also acknowledged that it had been impossible to get banknotes from New York, so arranged this printing, of a different size and design to avoid the appearance of forgeryEl Imparcial, 19 May 1914.

Issues

$1 notes

Date of issue Date on note Series from to Gerente Interventor Consejero code comment
  12 January 1914
GG 000001   Rangel Christlieb Collada GG CCCII includes numbers 000633incinerated (AGN, SC224 Antiguos Bancos de Emisión, caja 1405, libro 2272) to 123400incinerated (AGN, SC224 Antiguos Bancos de Emisión, caja 1405, libro 2272)
round seal

31 January 1914 MM
  
    30 serie MM CCCVIII includes number 132115CNBanxico #59971
round seal
  2 February 1914     2 serie MM CCCVIII includes numbers 147978CNBanxico #59970 to 149020CNBanxico #5835
round seal   
  4 February 1914        
  5 February 1914     424 serie MM CCCVIII includes numbers 209400CNBanxico #5836 to 215052CNBanxico #11831
round seal    
  10 February 1914 NN     444 serie NN CCCXI includes numbers 227570CNBanxico #59952 to 251142CNBanxico #5837
round seal   
  17 February 1914     222 serie NN CCCXI includes numbers 302038CNBanxico #5838 to 371910CNBanxico #5846
round seal 
  26 February 1914     [    ] serie NN CCCXI includes number 424794
  12 March 1914     4304 serie NN CCCXI
 
includes numbers 530808CNBanxico #59963 to 567059CNBanxico #5816
round seal   
  17 March 1914     includes number 576392CNBanxico #59967 to 617752CNBanxico #5848
round seal 
  26 February 1914     4304 serie NN CCCXI includes numbers 386550CNBanxico #59956 to 493753CNBanxico #5826
round seal    
  12 March 1914     4304 serie NN CCCXI includes numbers 530808CNBanxico #59949 to 567059CNBanxico #5818
round seal   
  17 March 1914        
  23 March 1914      4304 serie NN CCCXI includes numbers 637015CNBanxico #59956 to 679010CNBanxico #59957
round seal   
  26 March 1914        
  30 March 1914     4304 serie NN CCCXI includes numbers 722094CNBanxico #59968 to 768415CNBanxico #59969
round seal 
  1 April 1914     4304 serie NN CCCXI includes numbers 782847CNBanxico #5804 to 830343CNBanxico #5818
round seal   
      34.005 series NN CCCXIII includes numbers 1401698CNBanxico #5806 to 1575177CNBanxico #5805
round seal   
      includes numbers 1625947CNBanxico #11834 to 1678916CNBanxico #5811
square seal 
      includes numbers 1728307CNBanxico #5804 to 1879493CNBanxico #11833
round seal 
  4 April 1914     4304 serie NN CCCXI includes number 864750CNBanxico #5809
round seal  
  6 April 1914        
  7 April 1914     4304 serie NN CCCXI   includes numbers 890652CNBanxico #59954 to 895360CNBanxico #59955
round seal   
  8 April 1914     includes numbers 956798CNBanxico #5807 to 964667CNBanxico #5819
round seal   
  13 April 1914     4304 serie NN CCCXI includes number 980110CNBanxico #5820
round seal   
  14 April 1914          
  17 April 1914          
  22 April 1914 MN     4304 serie MN CCCXX  includes numbers 1175307CNBanxico #5841 to 1385834CNBanxico #5801
square seal
  28 April 1914     4304 serie MN CCCXI  includes numbers 1065206CNBanxico #5831 to 1095395CNBanxico #5831
round seal 
      4305 serie MN CCCXI  includes number 1096880CNBanxico #4305
round seal 
      4304 serie MN CCCXI  includes number 1100215CNBanxico #4305
round seal 
      4305 serie MN CCCXI includes number 1119934CNBanxico #5821
round seal 
      4304 serie MN CCCXI  includes number 11124253CNBanxico #5830
round seal 

$2 notes

Date of issue Date on note Series from to Gerente Interventor Consejero code comment

12 January 1914 GG 000001    Rangel Christlieb Collada  GG CCCII includes numbers 000019CNBanxico #59972 to 083773CNBanxico #60072
round seal  
  17 January 1914          
  30 January 1914 MM     30 serie MM CCCVIII includes number 1009940CNBanxico #60010 to 112978
  5 February 1914     424 serie MM CCCVIII 

includes numbers 120030CNBanxico #60038 to 137054CNBanxico #60047
round seal

  10 February 1914 NN     444 serie NN CCCXI  includes numbers 140677CNBanxico #60034 to 200074CNBanxico #60021
round seal 
  12 February 1914        
  17 February 1914     222 serie NN CCCXI    includes numbers 204549CNBanxico #60002 to 221823CNBanxico #60001
round seal  
  26 February 1914   300000 4304 serie NN CCCXI includes numbers 180881CNBanxico #59992 to 299899CNBanxico #59982
round seal   
  22 April 1914 RR 300001   6520 serie RR CCCXIX includes numbers 303467CNBanxico #5860 to 431984CNBanxico #60068
square seal  

 

The American Book and Printing Company also produced samples for a $5 and a $10 note, which suggests that the bank had used up its stock of ABNC notes.

Oriental 5 ABP

Oriental 10 ABP