Local chambers of commerce

Chiapas chambersTo overcome the shortage of small change and to ease commercial transactions local organisations in various towns issued low value notes. The earliest known is dated to July 1914, but in April 1915 Carranza authorised the Chiapas government to authorise, in turn, local businesses to issue up to $500,000 in these low value (5c, 10c, 20c and 50c), provided that they were backed up by deposits of an equal amount.

By early 1916 the need for these notes had obviously diminished and the government called for them to be recalled and incinerated.

Pichualco

Pichualco is a town in the northern part of the state. A local commission (La Comisión Local de Comercio) composed of Juan Villanueva, Juan Soriano Bustamante, and Lorenzo Pons, issued cheques backed by deposits they had made.

The 10c note has the printed date of July 1914 on the face, but one of the three rubber stamps on the reverse is dated 20 January 1915.

Comitán

The Junta Comercial, Agrícola e Industrial de Cambio issued notes.

We know of a $1 note dated 6 August 1915.

On 14 March 1916 $12,000 in cheques del comercio were incinerated in Comitán, under the watch of the Colector de RentasEl Regenerador, Tomo II, Núm. 97. 25 May 1916.

Tapachula

Tapachula is in the far south of the state. The Cámara Nacional de Comercio issued a series of four denominations (5c, 10c, 20c and 50c), dated 15 October 1914. These were printed by a Mexico City printer, had the signatures of [       ] as Tesorero and José Revuelto as Presidente and stated that they were redeemable in quantities of $5 or multiples.

The 10c and 20c notes are known printed on cloth. Various control letters are known.

  series from to control
letters		  
5c A        
10c B        
20c C     FC PL printed on cloth
    DS AO  
    BL GL  
    CH AB  
50c D     LU PE  

 

The Cámara was instructed to withdraw these notes from circulation by February 1916, though it was then granted an extension of a monthEl Regenerador, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Tomo II, Núm. 71. 20 February 1916. Then in May it was granted a further month in which to withdraw and incinerate their notesEl Regenerador, Tomo II, Núm. 97. 25 May 1916.

In late February 1916 the Camara incinerated $4,041.40 in notes that it had withdrawnEl Regenerador, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Tomo II, Núm. 71. 20 February 1916.