Catalog
50 Pesos El Estado de Sonora
| Issuer | Gobierno del Estado de Sonora |
|---|---|
| Year | 1915 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Peso (1863-1992) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Black intaglio on white paper with red serial numbers; two engraved oval portrait vignettes flank a central guilloche medallion bearing the large numeral '50', the left portrait of a bearded gentleman in a suit and the right of a mustachioed gentleman. The arched title legend spans the top, with place and date inscriptions 'Hermosillo, Sonora' and 'México, Marzo 1o de 1915' positioned between the portraits, while the lower margin carries four signature lines for El Gobernador, El Srío. de Estado Int., El Tesorero Gral. Int., and El Interventor. The American Bank Note Company imprint appears at the foot of the note. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Printed entirely in green on white paper, the reverse centres on a circular vignette enclosing the Mexican national coat of arms — an eagle perched on a cactus devouring a serpent — framed by the legends 'REPUBLICA MEXICANA' and 'GOBIERNO DEL ESTADO LIBRE Y SOBERANO DE SONORA'. Two large ornate guilloche rosettes, each bearing the numeral '50', flank the central medallion within an elaborate lathe-work border, with corner numerals '50' repeated throughout. The denomination 'CINCUENTA PESOS' is set in a solid panel at the foot, above the American Bank Note Company imprint. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
Sonora's state government issued its own currency during the Mexican Revolution because the federal monetary system had effectively collapsed — competing factions controlled different regions, and Constitutionalist-aligned Sonora needed a functioning medium of exchange independent of Mexico City. The American Bank Note Company contract reflects both the financial sophistication of the Sonora government and the practical impossibility of commissioning quality security printing domestically during active conflict.
The S1075 series is relatively available compared to many Mexican revolutionary issues, but circulated examples showing heavy fold wear are common — these notes moved through commerce in a border economy that included Arizona trade crossings.