The 1884 nickel crisis

In 1884 President Manuel González tried to introduce a new nickel currency but this was quickly rejected by the public and led to a shortage of small coins.

In response, in Matamoros some businesses issued provisional vales al portador for ¼ real (cuartillas, cuarto de real). i.e. 3¹/₈ centavos. The local newspapers thought that this was a good idea but that the Ayuntamiento should make sure the businesses deposited an equivalent sum as surety^{El Monitor Republicano, 6 May 1884}.

These vales will have had a short life.