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 $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 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’.

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

From May 1901 all denominations had a cycloid pattern covering all the white space on the reverse. The May 1901 print run had the date 'JULIO 1 DE 1901'.

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

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

We have details of the consignments from 1904 to 1913. On 10 January 1913 the ABNC made the first shipment of 12,000 $10 notes, 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 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.