10 centavos 1914
About This Note
This is a 10 centavos banknote issued by the Tesoreria de la Federacion in Guaymas, Sonora on March 16, 1914, during Mexico's Revolutionary period. The front features an elegant Mexican eagle emblem with spread wings within ornate decorative borders, while the reverse depicts a detailed coastal landscape with a waterfront city, cathedral, mountains, and sailing vessels—likely representing Guaymas itself. Though the front shows significant age-related foxing and staining consistent with circulation, the reverse remains relatively well-preserved, and the note's historical significance as a regional Revolutionary-era issue makes it an interesting example of Mexican numismatic history.
Common. This 10 centavos issue from the Tesoreria de la Federacion, Guaymas (Pick S1058) represents a straightforward regional emergency currency issue from the Mexican Revolution period. While such notes are historically significant and collected by enthusiasts of Mexican Revolutionary scrip, they were issued in substantial quantities for practical circulation needs. The existence of multiple series variants and serial numbers, combined with the note's straightforward design without extreme rarity factors, indicates a moderate production run. No specific evidence of extreme scarcity, short print runs, or recall status has been documented for this Pick number.
This note was issued during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) by the Tesoreria de la Federacion office in Guaymas, Sonora, a significant port city in northwestern Mexico. The authorization date of September 5, 1915 (noted on the face) indicates this was emergency currency issued to maintain liquidity during the conflict's tumultuous middle years. The reverse engraving depicting Guaymas' waterfront with its cathedral and maritime activity serves as both a regional identifier and a snapshot of Mexican civic pride during an era of tremendous political upheaval.
The front of this note showcases the Mexican national eagle (águila mexicana) as its central heraldic symbol, prominently displayed with spread wings in a classical coat-of-arms style, symbolizing Mexican sovereignty and national identity. The design is framed by symmetrical ornate scroll work and geometric borders typical of early 20th-century Mexican banknote engraving. The reverse features a detailed landscape engraving of Guaymas, Sonora's waterfront, depicting the city's cathedral with its distinctive spire as the prominent architectural landmark, a range of mountains in the distance, and several sailing vessels in the harbor—elements that collectively represent the city's importance as a commercial and ecclesiastical center. The entire composition is enclosed within elaborate decorative borders featuring symmetrical eagle motifs in the corners, reflecting the heraldic tradition of Mexican currency design. The color scheme of yellow-green on the obverse and teal-green on the reverse was typical of Mexican currency printing of this period.
FRONT SIDE: '10' (denomination); 'LA TESORERIA DE LA FEDERACION' (The Treasury of the Federation); '563' (likely a plate or serial identifier); 'Serie D' (Series D); 'Pagará al portador de acuerdo con la autorización dada a está detalura en 5 de Septiembre de 1915, la cantidad de DIEZ CENTAVOS en efectivo' (Will pay the bearer in accordance with the authorization given to this office on September 5, 1915, the amount of TEN CENTAVOS in cash); 'GUAYMAS, SONORA, MARZO 16 DE 1914' (Guaymas, Sonora, March 16, 1914); Repeating watermark text 'CentavosDiezCentavos' (Centavos/Ten Centavos); [Handwritten signatures - illegible]. REVERSE SIDE: '10' (denomination numerals in corners); 'LIT. LA NACIONAL - MAZATLAN. - A. DIAZ DE LEON E HIJOS' (Lithography 'La Nacional' - Mazatlan. - A. Diaz de Leon and Sons [printer]).
This note was produced using lithographic printing, as indicated by the printer attribution 'LIT. LA NACIONAL' (La Nacional Lithography) of Mazatlan, printed by A. Diaz de Leon e Hijos. The fine line work visible in the landscape engraving on the reverse, the intricate scroll work borders, and the repeating text watermark pattern are characteristic of high-quality lithographic production. The crisp engraved details and multi-color registration visible in the observations suggest a combination of lithographic and possibly intaglio techniques for the portrait and security elements, which was standard practice for Mexican banknotes of this era.
This specimen is identified as Series D (Serie D) with serial number 563. The specific date of issue is March 16, 1914 (MARZO 16 DE 1914), with authorization noted as September 5, 1915. Known varieties of this issue likely include different series designations (A, B, C, D, etc.) and corresponding serial number ranges. The note exhibits handwritten signatures, which may vary by individual authorization official. Additional varieties may exist with different printer marks or overprints, though the visual analysis does not indicate any overprints on this specific specimen.
