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’.

Banco de Sonora 5 00000 white back

Banco de Sonora 5 00000 white back reverse

Banco de Sonora 10 00000 white back

Banco de Sonora 10 00000 white back reverse

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’. 

Banco de Sonora 5 N 00000 white back

Banco de Sonora 5 N 00000 white back reverse

Banco de Sonora 20 00000 white back

Banco de Sonora 20 00000 white back reverse

Banco de Sonora 20 U 00000

Banco de Sonora 20 U 00000 reverse

Banco de Sonora 50 00000 white back

Banco de Sonora 50 00000 reverse white back

Banco de Sonora 50 W 00000

Banco de Sonora 50 W 00000 reverse

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 reverseThe $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'.

Banco de Sonora 10 A1 00000

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'.

Banco de Sonora 5 00000 1902

Banco de Sonora 20 00000 1902

Banco de Sonora 20 00000 reverse

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

 

Banco de Sonora 5 00000 1904

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, SonoraAGHES, 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:

Banco de Sonora 5 00000

Banco de Sonora 5 00000 reverse

Banco de Sonora 10 00000

Banco de Sonora 10 00000 reverse

Banco de Sonora 50 00000

Banco de Sonora 50 00000 reverse

Banco de Sonora 100 DW 00000

Banco de Sonora 100 DW 00000 reverse

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 notesDL 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 FebruaryABNC.

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.