1 peso 1913
About This Note
This is an exceptionally historically significant Mexican emergency currency issued by the State Treasury of Chihuahua during the Mexican Revolution on December 10, 1913. The note features hand-signed authorization by General Francisco Villa as Provisional Governor, with heavy period-appropriate wear including extensive foxing, staining, creases, and ink fading consistent with VF condition and over a century of circulation. The simplistic design, minimal security features, and government seal on the reverse reflect the desperate financial conditions of revolutionary Mexico and make this a compelling artifact of one of Latin America's most turbulent periods.
Common. This denomination and issue represent standard emergency state currency produced by Chihuahua during the revolutionary period. While historically significant, these notes were issued in substantial quantities to meet circulating needs and survive in reasonable numbers in collections today. The VF condition grade and observable wear patterns are consistent with notes that circulated extensively before being saved, suggesting adequate survival rates. No specific evidence of limited print runs, recall, or exceptional scarcity exists for this Pick number in this condition.
This 1 Peso note was issued during the Mexican Revolution when General Francisco Villa controlled Chihuahua state. The designation of Villa as 'Gobernador Provisional del Estado' (Provisional Governor) and the local Chihuahua printing by government presses underscore the fracturing of federal authority during this period. These emergency state-issued banknotes were necessitated by currency shortages and the collapse of normal financial infrastructure, making them critical documents of the revolutionary conflict and Villa's regional administration in 1913.
A austere, text-heavy design typical of emergency wartime currency with no portraiture or allegorical imagery. The front features centered typographic layout with 'UN PESO' flanked by arrow-like ornamental symbols (⇨), enclosed within a simple decorative border frame executed in black and red ink on tan/beige paper stock. Multiple hand-written signatures in cursive script appear in the lower portion, including those of Villa and the Comptroller (Interventor), authenticating the note as a state-issued obligation. The reverse is predominantly blank paper with a large circular official seal/stamp featuring a globe or coat of arms design surrounded by circular inscriptions, serving as the sole security device. The spare, utilitarian design reflects the urgency of emergency issue and the limited resources available to Chihuahua's revolutionary government.
FRONT: 'SERIE / Nº 96383' (Series / No. 96383) | 'TESORERIA GENERAL DEL ESTADO' (State General Treasury) | 'EL PRESENTE ES VALIDO, AL PORTADOR, POR / UN PESO' (This note is valid, to the bearer, for / One Peso) | 'Chihuahua, 10 de diciembre de 1913.' (Chihuahua, December 10, 1913) | 'Gobernador Provisional del Estado, / GRAL. FRANCISCO VILLA' (Provisional Governor of the State, / General Francisco Villa) | 'Jefe Gral. del Estado, / Interventor.' (General Chief of the State, / Comptroller) | 'IMP. DEL GOBIERNO, CHIHUAHUA' (Printed by the Government, Chihuahua). BACK: Circular official governmental seal with inscriptions largely illegible due to seal design and image resolution.
Typographic (letterpress) printing for the text and border elements, executed by the Government Printing Office of Chihuahua ('IMP. DEL GOBIERNO, CHIHUAHUA'). The hand-written signatures were added post-printing in cursive ink script. The circular seal on the reverse appears to be an impressed or stamped official mark, likely applied individually to each note. This methodology—simple letterpress combined with manuscript signatures and official stamps—was characteristic of emergency currency production during the Mexican Revolution, reflecting both the constraints of the period and the need for rapid, localized issuance.
Serial number 96383 is observed on this specimen. Varieties for this issue would be distinguishable by: (1) different serial number ranges; (2) variations in signature placement or identity of signatories (particularly the Comptroller/Interventor position); (3) possible overprint variants if any were applied to distinguish different authorization states; (4) date variations if issued over multiple days. The December 10, 1913 date appears consistent with early Villa-authorized emissions from Chihuahua. Further research into serial number ranges and signature combinations would be required to definitively classify specific varieties within Pick S553.
