The crisis of 1943
In 1943, during the Second World War, Mexico was again faced with a silver crisis (there was a combination of reasons: anticipation of a rise in the price of silver; the Mexican government’s agreement to sell practically its entire silver production to the United States for its military industry; and a boom in the Mexican and US jewellery industries). On 21 August it imposed a heavy export tax on silver products, to make it unprofitable to melt down silver coins to ship as bullion, and temporarily suspended a contract which promised all surplus silver production to the United States. However because of a shortage of fractional coinage, especially the fifty centavos denomination, it was compelled to authorise banks to issue cheques with printed denominations. All these issues were quickly withdrawn.
date on note | from | to | total number |
total value |
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50c | 1 September 1943 | includes numbers 017334 to 38039 |
In Aguascalientes the Cámara Nacional de Comercio issued a 50c cheque drawn on the Banco Mercantil del Bajio, S. A., dated 1 September. It was signed by [ ][identification needed] and [ ][identification needed].
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