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Movie money

Until 1958 the United States prohibited any full-scale photographic reproduction of its paper money. This included the use of American money in films because it was feared that a single frame of the negative could be enlarged onto a printing plate from which passable counterfeits could be made.

Film studios therefore had to use alternatives, especially the worthless but colourful leftovers from the Mexican revolution. The most common were the genuine $5, $10 and $20 Banco del Estado de Chihuahua, which were in such large supply that many of them continued to masquerade as American dollars well into the 1940s. As the hoards of obsolete notes became depleted, however, the film industry produced their own issues, often modifying the revolutionary currency.

These included the following based on Chihuahua notes.

Notes based on the $5 Banco del Estado de Chihuahua

movie dos 50 N 1327924 type 1

movie dos 50 N 1327924 type 1 reverse

movie Estado 50 A 110581 reverse

movie Estado 50 A 110581

DenomSeriesNumberfrontback
$1 M 80397    
$5 A 103774 black on white black on white
103777 black on white black on white
103779 black on white black on white
242093 black on white black on white
$50 A 110581 black red
M 80397    

Notes based on the $10 Banco del Estado de Chihuahua

movie Estado 1 A 147886 type 1

movie Estado 1 A 147886 type 1 reverse

movie Estado 1 A 147886 type 2

movie Estado 1 A 147888 type 2 reverse

movie Estado 10 A 147886 cut

movie Estado 10 A 147886 cut reverse

movie Estado 100 A 004187 type 1

movie Estado 100 A 004187 type 1 reverse

movie Estado 100 A 004187 type 2 reverse

movie Estado 100 A 004187 type 2

movie Estado 1000 A 004187 reverse

movie Estado 1000 A 004187

movie Estado 1000 A 182825 type 1 reverse

movie Estado 1000 A 182825 type 1

movie Estado 1000 A 182825 type 2 reverse

movie Estado 1000 A 182825 type 2

DenomSeriesNumberfrontback
$1 A 147886 black green
black and orange green
$10 A 147886 black on grey paper, very crude printing, note has been cut down so a large portion of the design is missing  
$100 A 004187 black on white with green serial number, small size (155mm x 68mm) green with same design
black red
green red
brown red
$1000 A 004187 Villa on horseback: brown blue
182825 black red
purple red/orange
blue red
green crimson

Notes based on the $20 Banco del Estado de Chihuahua

movie Estado 20 A 056117

DenomSeriesNumberfrontback
$20 A 056117 black and orange orange
$20 A 005045 red green

Notes based on the $1 dos caritas

movie dos 1 L 6908963

movie dos 1 L 6908963 reverse

movie dos 1 L 6908959

movie dos 1 L 6908959 reverse

DenomSeriesNumberfrontback
$1 L 6908963 UN PESO, black on white green
6908959 ONE DOLLAR black on white green

Notes based on the $10 dos caritas

movie dos 10 N 1881253

movie dos 10 N 1881253 reverse

movie dos 50 N 1327924 type 1

movie dos 50 N 1327924 type 1 reverse

DenomSeriesNumberfrontback
$10 N 1881253 10 TEN DOLLARS, black on white green
$50 N 1327924 FIFTY DOLLARS, black on white green
FIFTY DOLLARS, black and green, small size (155mm x 68mm) dark green
FIFTY DOLLARS, black and green, small size (150mm x 70mm) light green
1201597 FIFTY, black and grey black and grey

Notes based on the $20 dos caritas

movie dos 20 K 4476884

movie dos 20 K 4476884 reverse

DenomSeriesNumberfrontback
$20 K 4476884 black on white green

 

Many of these notes came on to the market when the stock of Ellis Props & Graphics, the largest prop supply house in Hollywood, was auctioned.