Translate / Traducir

The $1 and $2 notes of the Banco Oriental de México

The Banco Oriental was one of the banks that took advantage when on 19 November 1913 Huerta permitted the banks to issue $1 and $2 notes.

On 4 January a meeting of around eighty people was held in the Cámara de Comercio de Puebla, to discuss the matter of the notes of the state banks. They decided to ask President Huerta to decree their forced circulation and agreed to send a commission, including Manuel Rivero Collarda, to Mexico City to hold the necessary meetings with the Secretaría de Hacienda. In particular the commission would seek authorization for the Banco Oriental to issue 50c and $1 notesEl Diario, Año VIII, Núm. 2099, 5 January 1914.

The American Bank Note Company

The bank originally had discussion with the American Bank Note Company about a 50c issue.  On 21 January 1914 Charles Blackmore, the ABNC’s Resident Agent in Mexico City, reported that when Manuel Rivero Collada gave him the details for the fifty centavos notes he said he was going to await the receipt of models before asking the Government for the necessary authority to issue the notes and that he could tell Enrique Creel of the Banco Minero de Chihuahua as in all probability Collada and Creel would work in unison and issue these fractional currency notes at the same timeABNC. The ABNC did get to the stage of producing proofs and specimens.

Oriental 50c 00000

Oriental 50c 00000 reverse

On 27 February the Banco Minero wrote that they waited until they knew whether the Banco Oriental had been successful in securing permission to issue 50 centavos notes, because it seems that if they could not obtain authority neither would the Banco MineroAmerican Bank Note Company, so it might be that the bank sought permission in February. In fact, Huerta did not authorise the issue of 50c notes until 30 March.

The bank did get the ABNC to produce 50c, $1 and $2 notes in June and July 1914. The $1 and $2 notes were never delivered to the bank and were destroyed in December 1924.

Oriental 1 00000

Oriental 1 00000 reverse

Oriental 2 00000

Oriental 2 00000 reverse

American Book and Printing Company 

Meanwhile the American Book and Printing Company of Mexico City produced $1 and $2 notes. These are known in two different varieties: various dates in January or February with round seals on their face, or notes dated 1 or 22 April (and issued in Mexico City) with square seals.

Oriental 1 NN 1551032

Oriental 1 NN 1551032 reverse

Oriental 1 detail 1  

 Oriental 1 MN 1334057

Oriental 1 MN 1334057 reverse

Oriental 1 detail 3   Oriental 1 detail 4

 

Oriental 2 226625

Oriental 2 226625 reverse

Oriental 2 402174

Oriental 2 402174 reverse

Because of these differences by mid May there was alarm that the notes had been been counterfeited and some people refused to accept notes with the square resello. The bank’s lawyer, Nicanor Gurría Urgell, told the newspapers that all the notes were genuine, and the different seals were a security measure against counterfeitersEl País, Mexico, Tomo I, Año X, Núm. 4620, 18 May 1914; El Correo Español, 18 May 1914; El Imparcial, Tomo XXXV, Núm. 6450, 18 May 1914. The next day the bank amplified its explanation. The bank kept a secret register in which it recorded the serial numbers of notes and the corresponding seal. Thus serial numbers 1-700 has one seal, 701-1300 another, 1301-1900 the first or yet another, and so on. This would confuse potential counterfeiters. The  bank also acknowledged that it had been impossible to get banknotes from New York, so arranged this printing, of a different size and design to avoid the appearance of forgeryEl Imparcial, 19 May 1914. Urgell's comment about the different seals was a "misdirection", as the seals could easily be tied to two particular dates.

Issues

$1 notes

Date of issue Date on note Series from to Gerente Interventor Consejero code comment
14 January 1914 12 January 1914 GG 000001 015000 Rangel Christlieb Collada GG CCCII round seal
16 January 1914 015001 055000
19 January 1914 055001 075000
21 January 1914 075001 115000
26 January 1914 115001 125000
2 February 1914
2 February 1914 MM
  
125001 135000 30 Serie MM CCCVIII
135001 155000 2 Serie MM CCCVIII
5 February 1914 4 February 1914 155001 165000 424 Serie MM CCCVIII
5 February 1914 165001 185000
 9 February 1914 185001 225000
11 February 1914 10 February 1914 NN  225001 245000 444 Serie NN CCCXI
16 February 1914 245001 265000
18 February 1914 17 February 1914 265001 285000 222 Serie NN CCCXI
19 February 1914 285001 325000
23 February 1914 325001 375000
26 February 1914 26 February 1914 375001 400000 4304 Serie NN CCCXI
6 March 1914 400001 430000
9 March 1914 430001 470000
11 March 1914  470001 510000
12 March 1914 510001 550000
16 March 1914 550001 570000
17 March 1914 17 March 1914 570001 590000
19 March 1914 590001 630000
23 March 1914 23 March 1914 630001 690000
27 March 1914 26 March 1914 690001 710000
30 March 1914 30 March 1914 710001 770000
1 April 1914 1 April 1914 770001 830000
3 April 1914 3 April 1914 830001 850000
4 April 1914 4 April 1914 850001 870000
6 April 1914 6 April 1914 870000 890000
7 April 1914 7 April 1914 890001 930000
8 April 1914 8 April 1914 930001 970000
13 April 1914 13 April 1914 970001 990000
14 April 1914 14 April 1914 990001 1020000  
17 April 1914 17 April 1914 1020001 1045000  
22 April 1914 1045001 1050000  
30 April 1914 1050001 1060000  
28 April 1914 1060001   4304 Serie NN CCCXI  includes numbers 1065206CNBanxico #5831 to 1095395CNBanxico #5831
round seal 
    4305 Serie NN CCCXI  includes number 1096880CNBanxico #4305
round seal 
  1105000 4304 Serie NN CCCXI  includes number 1100215CNBanxico #4305
round seal 
  1105001   4304 Serie NN CCCXI  includes number 11124253CNBanxico #5830
round seal 
    1140000 4305 Serie NN CCCXI  includes number 1119934CNBanxico #5821
round seal  
28 April 1914
(in Mexico City)
22 April 1914 MN 1140001 1400000 4304 Serie MN CCCXI square seal 
22 July 1914
(in Mexico City)
1 April 1914 NN 1400001 1620000 34.005 Serie NN CCCXIII round seal
1620001 1700000 square seal
1700001 1900000 round seal

 

$2 notes

Date of issue Date on note Series from to Gerente Interventor Consejero code comment
22 January 1914
12 January 1914  
 
GG 000001 020000  Rangel Christlieb Collada  GG CCCII     round seal
24 January 1914   020001 040000
26 January 1914   040001 070000
28 January 1914   070001 080000
29 January 1914   080001 100000
31 January 1914 30 January 1914 MM 100001 120000 30 Serie MM CCCVIII
9 February 1914 5 February 1914 120001 140000 424 Serie MM CCCVIII 
11 February 1914 10 February 1914 NN 140001 150000 444 serie NN CCCXI 
13 February 1914 150001 170000
16 February 1914 170001 180000
27 February 1914 26 February 1914 180001 182000
16 February 1914 10 February 1914 182001 202000
25 February 1914 17 February 1914 202001 222000 222 Serie NN CCCXI   
27 February 1914 26 February 1914 222001 250000 4304 Serie NN CCCXI
2 March 1914 250000 300000

28 April 1914
(in Mexico City)

22 April 1914   RR 300001 320000 6520 Serie RR CCCXIX square seal
320001 340000
340001 450000

 

The American Book and Printing Company also produced samples for a $5 and a $10 note, which suggests that the bank had used up its stock of ABNC notes.

Oriental 5 ABP

Oriental 10 ABP