American Bank Note Company print runs

The American Bank Note Company produced the following notes. The company engraved the portrait of governor Ramón Corral's daughter, Hortensia (C 221) for all the face plates^{The $5 face plate, $5 back plate (6 notes on each) and 2 $5 tint plates No. 1 and 2 (1 note) were engraved on 24 November 1897. The design for the $5 was approved by Juan de Dios Castro on 7 February 1898. The $5 back plate was altered on 10 April 1899 to remove the word “El” and on 25 May 1901 by engraving a cycloid ruling to cover all the white space.
At the end the ABNC had in its vaults one $5 face plate (#5) made on order F 3405, two $5 back plates (#3 made on order F 2148 and #4 made on order F 3405) and two $5 tint plates, No. 1 and 2.
The $10 face plate, $10 back plate (4 notes on each) and 2 $10 tint plates No. 1 and 2 (1 note) were engraved on 24 November 1897. The design for the $10 was approved by Rafael Ruíz on 21 February 1898.
The $10 back plate was altered on 10 April 1899 to remove the word “El” and on 25 May 1901 by engraving a cycloid ruling to cover all the white space.
At the end the ABNC had in its vaults one $10 face plate (#3) made on order F 2655 and one $10 back plate (#1 made on order of 10 April 1899) and two $10 tint plates No. 1 and 2
The $20 face plate, $20 back plate (4 notes on each) and 2 $20 tint plates No. 1 and 2 (1 note) were engraved on 24 November 1897. The designs for the $20 was approved by Max Müller on 18 March 1898. The $20 back plate was altered on 25 May 1901 by engraving a cycloid ruling to cover all the white space.
At the end the ABNC had in its vaults one $20 face plate (#2) made on order F 32, one $20 back plate (#1 made on order of 24 November 1897) and two $20 tint plates, No. 1 and 2
The $50 face plate, $50 back plate (4 notes on each) and 2 $50 tint plates No. 1 and 2 (1 note) were engraved on 24 November 1897. The designs for the $50 was approved by Max Müller on 18 March 1898. The $50 back plate was altered on 25 May 1901 by engraving a cycloid ruling to cover all the white space.
At the end the ABNC had in its vaults one $50 face plate (#2) made on order F 2655 and one $50 back plate (#2 made on order F 2655) and two $50 tint plates, No. 1 and 2
The $100 face plate, $100 back plate (1 note on each) and 2 $100 tint plates No. 1 and 2 (1 note) were engraved on 24 November 1897. The designs for the $100 was approved by Max Müller on 18 March 1898. The $100 back plate was altered on 25 May 1901 by engraving a cycloid ruling to cover all the white space.
At the end the ABNC had in its vaults one $100 face plate made on order of 24 November 1897 and one $100 back plate made on order of 24 November 1897 and two $100 tint plates, No. 1 and 2.
The plates were cancelled on 28 August 1931 (ABNC, folder 197, Banco de Sonora (1911-1931))}.

The sequence of serial letters for the issue of the different series shows that the bank progressed through the alphabet, across all the denominations; then issued the series A1, B1, C1 and D1; then used the alphabet again for each value. Finally the bank began to use double letters.

The very earliest notes had the reverse design printed on a white background with the legend ‘EL BANCO DE SONORA’.

In April 1899 the legend on the reverse of the $5 and $10 notes was changed to ‘BANCO DE SONORA’. 

From May 1901 all denominations had a cycloid pattern covering all the white space on the reverse. The May 1901 print run had the date 'JULIO 1 DE 1901'.

The May 1902 print run had the date 'JULIO 1 DE 1902'.

On 11 November 1904 ABNC shipped by Wells Fargo, via Laredo, to the Banco Central Mexicano in Mexico City,  a box containing 20,000 $5 notes (T 150001-154000, U 154001-158000, V 158001-162000, W 162001-160000; X 166001-170000); 7,000 $10 notes (S 75001-77000; T 77001-79000, U 79001-81000, V 81001-82000); 1,000 $50 notes (O 9001-9500, P 9501-10000); and 300 $100 notes (J 4501-4700, K 4701-4800).  They did not include any $20 notes as thry spoiled a large part of these in the printing. So, on 2 December they sent the 2,500 $20 notes (J 30001-32000, K 32001-32500).

On 26 December 1905 ABNC consigned by Adams Express (via Laredo) to the Banco Central Mexicano, one box, No. 1, containing 40,000 $5 notes (AZ 170001-174000, AY 174001-178000, AX 178001-182000, AW 1820001-186000, AV 186001-190000, AU 190001-194000, AT 194001-198000, AS 198001-202000, AR 202001-206000, and AQ 206001-210000); and another box, No. 2, containing 15,000 $10 notes (W 82001-84000, X 84001-86000, Y 86001-88000, Z 88001-90000, AZ 90001-92000, AY 92001-94000, AX 94001-96000, AW 96001-97000); 7,000 $20 notes (L 32501-34500, M 34501-26500, N 36501-38500, O 38501-39500); 1,200 $50 notes (Q 10001-10400, R 10401-10800, S 10800-112000), and 500 $100 notes (L 4801-5000, M 5001-5200, N 5201-5300).

The ABNC had some notes ready by 30 October but decided, as it was a small order, to make a single shipment. During the first week of November the Banco de Sonora was asking when it would receive its notes, and on 9 November was told that all would be shipped on 13 November. However, the bank must have been in dire need as it replied, on 9 November, that the ABNC should ship whatever it had. The next day the ABNC said that it would ship six series of $5 noes and all the $20 notes, and so, on 12 November the ABNC shipped, through Wells Fargo Express, a box with 24,000 $5 notes (BM 210001-214000, BN 214001-218000, BO 218001-222000, BP 222001-226000, BQ 226001-230000, BR 230001-234000), and 7,000 $20 notes (BT 39501-41500, BU 41501-43500, BV 43501-45500, BW 45501-46500). On 16 November it sent 16,000 $5 notes (BJ 234001-238000, BH 238001-242000, BG 242001-246000, BF 246001-250000); 15,000 $10 notes (BX 97001-99000, BW 99001-101000, BV 101001-103000, BU 103001-105000, BT 105001-107000, BS 107001-109000, BR 109001-111000, BQ 111001-112000); 1,200 $50 notes (CA 11201-11600, CB 11601-12000, CC 12001-12400); and 500 $100 notes (CD 5301-5500, CE 5501-5700, CF 5701-5800)^{ABNC, folder 197, Banco de Sonora (1904-1910)}.

On 5 December 1910 the ABNC shipped 8,000 $5 notes (CA 25001-254000, CB 254001-258000) and 3,000 $10 notes (DA 112001-115000). On 23 December box No. 6 contained 8,000 $5 notes (CC 258001-262000, CD 262001-266000, CE 266001-270000, CF 270001-274000, CG 274001-278000, CH 278001-282000, CJ 282001-286000), 9,000 $10 notes ( DB 115001-118000, DC 118001-121000, DD 121001-124000); 16,000 $20 notes (DL 46501-48500, DM 48501-50500, DN 50501-52500, DO 52501-54500, DP 54501-56500, DQ 56501-58500, DR 58501-60500, DS 60501-62500), and 2,000 $100 notes (CG 5801-6000, CH 6001-6200, CJ 6201-6400, CK 6401-6600, CL 6601-6800, CM 6801-7000, CN 7001-7200, CO 7201-7400, CP 7401-7600, CQ 7601-7800).

On 16 January 1911 the ABNC shipped, in box No. 7, 34,000 $5 notes (CK 286001-290000, CL 290001-294000, CM 294001-298000, CN 298001-302000, CO 302001-306000, CP 306001-310000, CQ 310001-314000, CR 314001-318000, CS 318001-320000) and in box No. 8, 18,000 $10 notes (DE 124001-127000, DF 127001-130000, DG 130001-133000, DH 133001-136000, DJ 136001-139000, DK 139001-142000), and 10,000 $50 notes (CD 12401-13400, CE 13401-14400, CF 14401-15400, CG 15401-16400, CH 16401-17400, CJ 17401-18400, CK 18401-19400, CL 19401-20400, CM 20401-21400, CN 21401-22400).

On 6 September 1912 the bank ordered  another 128,000 notes:

On 11 January 1913 the ABNC shipped via Wells Fargo Express, to the Banco Central Mexicano in Mexico City, in box No. 9, 12,000 $10 notes (DL 142001-145000, DM 145001-148000, DN 148001-151000, DO 151001-154000).

On 7 Febuary it shipped, in box No 10,  70,000 $5 notes (DH 320001-324000, DI 324001-328000, DK 328001-332000, DL 332001-336000, DM 336001-340000, DN 340001-344000, DO 344001-348000, DP 348001-352000, DQ 352001-356000, DR 356001-360000, DS 360001-364000, DT 364001-368000, DU 368001-372000, DV 372001-376000, DW 376001-380000, DX 380001-384000,  DY 384001-388000, Dz 388001-390000), and in box No. 11, 18,000 $10 notes (DP 154001-157000, DQ 157001-160000, DR 160001-163000, DS 163001-166000, DT 166001-169000, and DU 169001-172000), 16,000 $20 notes (DT 62501-64500, DU 64501-66500, DV 66501-68500, DW 68501-70500, DX 70501-72500, DY 72501-74500, DZ 74501-76500, DA 76501-78500), 10,000 $50 notes (DO 22401-23400, DP 23401-24400, DQ 24401-25400, DR 25401-26400, DS 26401-27400, DT 27401-28400, DU 28401-29400, DV 29401-30400, DW 30401-31400, DX 31401-32400) and 2,000 $100 notes (DR 7801-8000, DS 8001-8200, DT 8201-8400, DU 8401-8600, DV 8601-8800, DW 8801-9000, DX 9001-9200, DY 9201-9400, DZ 9401-9600, DA 9601-9800).

On 13 February the bank wired the ABNC to tell them not to send any more notes until further notice, but the ABNC had already dispatched the balance in two boxes on 7 February. On 17 June the ABNC telegraphed the bank in Hermosillo to ask whether it had received the notes and the bank replied that it had had no mail at Hermosillo since 3 March and did not know if the notes had arrived in Mexico City. The printers therefore asked Wells Fargo to trace the consignments and on 6 September Wells Fargo reported that the first shipment had been delivered on 21 June. Finally, on 16 December, Wells Fargo was able to confirm that the second consignment had been delivered to the Banco Central Mexicano on 19 February^{ABNC, folder 197, Banco de Sonora (1904-1910)}.

These notes were never sealed by the Secretaría de Hacienda or put into circulation. It is not known how they made their way back to the United States but somehow they were offloaded by the Banco de Sonora. They were used as movie money (see Movie money) and also found their way to coin dealers.