American Bank Note Company print runs

The American Bank Note Company produced the following notes.The company engraved the portrait of governor Ramón Corral's daughter, Hortensia (C 221) for all the face plates.

The sequence of serial letters for the issue of the different series shows that the bank progressed through the alphabet, across all the denominations; then issued the series A1, B1, C1 and D1; then used the alphabet again for each value. Finally the bank began to use double letters.

The very earliest notes had the reverse design printed on a white background with the legend ‘EL BANCO DE SONORA’.

Date	Value	Number	Series	from	to
November 1897	$5	30,000		1	30000
	$10	15,000		1	15000
	$20	7,500		1	7500
	$50	3,000		1	3000
	$100	1,500		1	1500

 

In April 1899 the legend on the reverse of the $5 and $10 notes was changed to ‘BANCO DE SONORA’. 

Date	Value	Number	Series	from	to
April 1899	$5	40,000		30001	70000
	$10	20,000		15001	35000
	$20	7,500		7501	15000
	$50	2,000		3001	5000
	$100	1,000		1501	2500

 

From May 1901 all denominations had a cycloid pattern covering all the white space on the reverse^{The $5 face plate, $5 back plate (6 notes on each) and 2 $5 tint plates No. 1 and 2 (1 note) were engraved on 24 November 1897. The design for the $5 was approved by Juan de Dios Castro on 7 February 1898. The $5 back plate was altered on 10 April 1899 to remove the word “El” and on 25 May 1901 by engraving a cycloid ruling to cover all the white space.
At the end the ABNC had in its vaults one $5 face plate (#5) made on order F 3405, two $5 back plates (#3 made on order F 2148 and #4 made on order F 3405) and two $5 tint plates, No. 1 and 2.
The $10 face plate, $10 back plate (4 notes on each) and 2 $10 tint plates No. 1 and 2 (1 note) were engraved on 24 November 1897. The design for the $10 was approved by Rafael Ruíz on 21 February 1898.
The $10 back plate was altered on 10 April 1899 to remove the word “El” and on 25 May 1901 by engraving a cycloid ruling to cover all the white space.
At the end the ABNC had in its vaults one $10 face plate (#3) made on order F 2655 and one $10 back plate (#1 made on order of 10 April 1899) and two $10 tint plates No. 1 and 2
The $20 face plate, $20 back plate (4 notes on each) and 2 $20 tint plates No. 1 and 2 (1 note) were engraved on 24 November 1897. The designs for the $20 was approved by Max Müller on 18 March 1898. The $20 back plate was altered on 25 May 1901 by engraving a cycloid ruling to cover all the white space.
At the end the ABNC had in its vaults one $20 face plate (#2) made on order F 32, one $20 back plate (#1 made on order of 24 November 1897) and two $20 tint plates, No. 1 and 2
The $50 face plate, $50 back plate (4 notes on each) and 2 $50 tint plates No. 1 and 2 (1 note) were engraved on 24 November 1897. The designs for the $50 was approved by Max Müller on 18 March 1898. The $50 back plate was altered on 25 May 1901 by engraving a cycloid ruling to cover all the white space.
At the end the ABNC had in its vaults one $50 face plate (#2) made on order F 2655 and one $50 back plate (#2 made on order F 2655) and two $50 tint plates, No. 1 and 2
The $100 face plate, $100 back plate (1 note on each) and 2 $100 tint plates No. 1 and 2 (1 note) were engraved on 24 November 1897. The designs for the $100 was approved by Max Müller on 18 March 1898. The $100 back plate was altered on 25 May 1901 by engraving a cycloid ruling to cover all the white space.
At the end the ABNC had in its vaults one $100 face plate made on order of 24 November 1897 and one $100 back plate made on order of 24 November 1897 and two $100 tint plates, No. 1 and 2.
The plates were cancelled on 28 August 1931 (ABNC)}.

The May 1901 print run had the date 'JULIO 1 DE 1901'.

Date	Value	Number	Series	from	to
May 1901	$5	40,000		70001	110000
	$10	20,000		35001	55000
	$20	7,500		15001	22500
	$50	2,000		5001	7000
	$100	1,000		2501	3500

 

 The May 1902 print run had the date 'JULIO 1 DE 1902'.

Date	Value	Number	Series	from	to
May 1902	$5	40,000		110001	150000
	$10	20,000		55001	75000
	$20	7,500		22501	30000
	$50	2,000		7001	9000
	$100	1,000		3501	4500

 

Date	Value	Number	Series	from	to
September 1904	$5	20,000		150001	170000
	$10	7,000		75001	82000
	$20	2,500		30001	32500
	$50	1,000		9001	10000
	$100	300		4501	4800

 

Date	Value	Number	Series	from	to
October 1905	$5	40,000		170001	210000
	$10	15,000		82001	97000
	$20	7,000		32501	39500
	$50	1,200		10001	11200
	$100	500		4801	5300

 

Date	Value	Number	Series	from	to
August 1909	$5	40,000		210001	250000
	$10	15,000		97001	112000
	$20	7,000		39501	46500
	$50	1,200		11201	12400
	$100	500		5301	5800

 

In October 1913 a $20 note (RD 58567 (sic)) without any signatures had appeared in Altar and was retained by the authorities. Fon Quí (sic, also probably known as Fong Ki) of Magdalena received some such notes and, through the Nogales custom agents, Joffrey y Levin, deposited them in the First National Bank, Nogales, Sonora^{AGHES, Fondo Oficialidad Mayor, tomo 2971}. However, these will have been a few(?) notes that slipped out from the bank’s office in Nogales, suggesting that if they had unsigned notes on the premises they might have still been signing and issuing them.

Date	Value	Number	Series	from	to
September 1910	$5	70,000		250001	320000
	$10	30,000		112001	142000
	$20	16,000		46501	62500
	$50	10,000		12401	22400
	$100	2,000		5801	7800

 

On 6 September 1912 the bank ordered  another 128,000 notes:

Date	Value	Number	Series	from	to
September 1912	$5	70,000		320001	390000
	$10	30,000		142001	172000
	$20	16,000		62501	78500
	$50	10,000		12401	32400
	$100	2,000		7801	9800

 

On 10 January 1913 the ABNC made the first shipment of 12,000 $10 notes^{DL 142001-145000, DM 145001-148000, DN 148001-151000, and DO 151001-154000}, via Wells Fargo Express, to the Banco Central Mexicano in Mexico City. On 13 February the bank wired the ABNC to tell them not to send any more notes until further notice, but the ABNC had already dispatched the balance^{$5 320001-390000, $10 154001-172000, $20 62501-78500, $50 22401-32400 and $100 7801-9800} in two boxes on 7 February.

On 17 June the ABNC telegraphed the bank in Hermosillo to ask whether it had received the notes and the bank replied that it had had no mail at Hermosillo since 3 March and did not know if the notes had arrived in Mexico City. The printers therefore asked Wells Fargo to trace the consignments and on 6 September Wells Fargo reported that the first shipment had been delivered on 21 June. Finally, on 16 December, Wells Fargo was able to confirm that the second consignment had been delivered to the Banco Central Mexicano on 19 February^ABNC.

These notes were never sealed by the Secretaría de Hacienda or put into circulation. It is not known how they made their way back to the United States but somehow they were offloaded by the Banco de Sonora. They were used as movie money (see Movie money) and also found their way to coin dealers.