Estado de Sonora $10 notes

(This section is the result of research by Robert Perigoe. This information originally appeared in the March 2012 issue of the Journal of the U. S. Mexican Numismatic Association.)

Once again, the easiest way to identify the three printing positions is to examine the back of the note. The backs of Series 1 notes are consistent throughout the series, while a change occurs in Series 2 that continues through Series 3 and 4.

First Series

This series differs from all the others in that it deviated from the standard practice of using runs of 100 in each setting. Although the first setting used runs of 100 with three positions, the second setting used runs of 500 with three positions, and the third setting used runs of 150 with only two positions.

The first setting comprised 13 runs of 100 sheets with three positions each for a total of 3,900 notes.

Position 1 (top row): The face displays mountain seal type 3, large eagle seal (normal ‘C’), thick fancy ‘No.’, and serial numbering pattern 1-100, 301-400 … 3601-3700. On its back, the dot in ‘SONORA’ is a thick vertical rectangle, and in the top right corner the vine is broken on the left side.

Position 2 (middle row): mountain seal type 4, large eagle seal (broken ‘C’), thin block ‘No.’, and serial numbering pattern 101-200, 401-500 … 3701-3800. On its back, the dot in ‘SONORA’ is a thick horizontal rectangle, and there are no breaks in the corner floral designs.

Position 3 (bottom row): mountain seal type 5, small eagle seal (with spot), thick block ‘No.’, and serial numbering pattern 201-300, 501-600 … 3801-3900. On its back, the dot in ‘SONORA’ is a small irregular shape, and in the lower left corner the flower is broken at the left and the stem is truncated.

The above characteristics of the printing positions did not change in the next two settings. Only the numbering pattern was altered.

In the second setting there were two runs of 500 sheets having three positions each for a total of 3,000 notes. The numbering patterns are as follows

Position 1 (top row): 3901-4400, 5401-5900.
Position 2 (middle row): 4401-4900, 5901-6400.
Position 3 (bottom row): 4901-5400, 6401-6900.

In the third setting there were two runs of 150 sheets using only the top two positions for a total of 600 notes. The numbering patterns are as follows

Position 1 (top row): 6901-7050, 7201-7350.
Position 2 (middle row): 7051-7200, 7351-7500.
Position 3 (bottom row): not used.

At least one replacement note was produced in this series, as a replacement note was printed for note 7455 which presumably was defective. The original note would have been included in the third setting, in position 2 (middle row). The replacement note was printed afterwards, in position 1 (top row).

Second series

This series is distinguished by errors in the green printing which affected the first setting. On the left of each note, reading upward, the word ‘PROVISIONAL’ is supposed to be printed. This was done successfully in position 1 (top row), but somehow one of the ‘I’s was omitted in the second position (middle row) producing ‘PROVSIONAL’. However, the missing ‘I’ was added into the third position (bottom row) producing ‘PROVISIIONAL’.

The first setting comprised two runs of 100 sheets with three positions each for a total of 600 notes.

Position 1 (top row): ‘PROVISIONAL’ correctly spelled. The face displays mountain seal type 4, large eagle seal (broken ‘C’), thick block ‘No.’, and serial numbering pattern 1-100, 301-400. On the back, the dot in ‘SONORA’ is a vertical rectangle, and in the lower left corner, both edges of the vine at right are broken.

Position 2 (middle row): ‘PROVSIONAL’ error. The face displays mountain seal type 3, large eagle seal (normal ‘C’), thick fancy ‘No.’, and serial numbering pattern 101-200, 401-500. On the back, the dot in ‘SONORA’ is round and lower than the adjacent letters, and in the lower left corner, only the outer edge of the vine at right is broken.

Position 3 (bottom row): ‘PROVISIIONAL’ error. The face displays mountain seal type 5, small eagle seal (with spot), thin block ‘No.’, and serial numbering pattern 201-300, 501-600. On the back, the dot in ‘SONORA’ is rectangular, and in the lower left corner the flower is broken at the left and the stem is truncated.

 The above characteristics of the backs of the notes remained consistent for the settings which followed in this series.

The errors were corrected in the second setting, retaining the same numbering devices as the first setting. This setting comprised one run of 100 sheets having three positions for 300 notes.

Position 1 (top row): mountain seal type 4, large eagle seal (broken ‘C’), thick block ‘No.’, and serial numbering pattern 601-700.
Position 2 (middle row): mountain seal type 3, large eagle seal (normal ‘C’), thick fancy ‘No.’, and serial numbering pattern 701-800.
Position 3 (bottom row): mountain seal type 5, small eagle seal (with spot), thin block ‘No.’, and serial numbering pattern 801-900.

Things finally got squared away with the third and final setting. For some reason, this setting moved the numbering device that had been utilized in position 1 to position 2, and substituted a totally different numbering device in position 1. This setting comprised 22 runs of 100 sheets having three positions for 6,600 notes.

Position 1 (top row): mountain seal type 4, large eagle seal (broken ‘C’), thick fancy ‘No.’, and serial numbering pattern 901-1000, 1201-1300 … 7201-7300.
Position 2 (middle row): mountain seal type 3, large eagle seal (normal ‘C’), thick block ‘No.’, and serial numbering pattern 1001-1100, 1301-1400 … 7301-7400.
Position 3 (bottom row): mountain seal type 5, small eagle seal (with spot), thin block ‘No.’, and serial numbering pattern 1101-1200, 1401-1500 … 7401-7500.

Third Series

This series was printed in a relatively straightforward manner, but still had its problems. A considerable number of replacement notes were produced individually and even in groups.

The single regular setting comprised 25 sheets of 100 sheets having three positions for a total of 7,500 notes. The backs of the notes remained the same as in Series 2.

Position 1 (top row): mountain seal type 4, large eagle seal (broken ‘C’), thick fancy ‘No.’, and serial numbering pattern 1-100, 301-400 … 7201-7300.
Position 2 (middle row): mountain seal type 3, large eagle seal (normal ‘C’), thick block ‘No.’, and serial numbering pattern 101-200, 401-500 … 7301-7400. The initial ‘P’ in the right ‘PROVISIONAL’ is lower than the other letters.

This minor error is found throughout the regular issues of Series 3 and 4.

Position 3 (bottom row): mountain seal type 5, small eagle seal (with spot), thin block ‘No.’, and serial numbering pattern 201-300, 501-600 … 7401-7500.

Replacement notes were printed for notes 1254 and 1271 which presumably were defective. The original notes would have been included in the single setting, in position 1 (top row). The replacement notes were printed afterwards, in position 2 (middle row).

Considerably later, probably in a separate setting after the completion of Series 4, replacement sheets were printed for a group of notes that were presumably defective. The numbering devices are different and the ‘P’ in ‘PROVISIONAL’ is no longer lower than the other letters.

The size of the group and the numbers included are estimates that could be refined as additional information becomes available. Known replacement notes of this type are numbered 988, 1043, 1048, 1146, 1152, 1153, 1182, 1215, and 1415.

Position 1 (top row): mountain seal type 3, large eagle seal (broken ‘C’), thick block ‘No.’, and serial numbering pattern 941-1000, 1201-1220.
Position 2 (middle row): mountain seal type 5, large eagle seal (normal ‘C’), thin block ‘No.’, and serial numbering pattern 1041-1100, 1301-1320. The initial ‘P’ in the right ‘PROVISIONAL’ is even with the other letters.
Position 3 (bottom row): mountain seal type 4, small eagle seal (with spot), thick fancy ‘No.’, and serial numbering pattern 1141-1200, 1401-1420.

Fourth series

The single setting for this series is fairly straightforward, its highlight being the minor error, the low ‘P’ in ‘PROVISIONAL’ in position 2. Fronts and backs mirror the regular single setting for Series Three, thus:

Position 1 (top row): mountain seal type 4, large eagle seal (broken ‘C’), thick fancy ‘No.’, and serial numbering pattern 1-100, 301-400 … 7201-7300.
Position 2 (middle row): mountain seal type 3, large eagle seal (normal ‘C’), thick block ‘No.’, and serial numbering pattern 101-200, 401-500 … 7301-7400. The initial ‘P’ in the right ‘PROVISIONAL’ is lower than the other letters.
Position 3 (bottom row): mountain seal type 5, small eagle seal (with spot), thin block ‘No.’, and serial numbering pattern 201-300, 501-600 … 7401-7500.