10 pesos 1910
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About This Note
This Banco de Durango 10 pesos from January 1, 1910 (Series F) is a handsome example of early Mexican regional banking currency from the American Bank Note Company. The note displays the characteristic ornate engraving typical of ABNC work, with the Cathedral of Durango prominently featured at left and an agricultural labor scene at right, printed in black on orange and yellow underprint. Despite fair condition with visible age, wear, a central fold, foxing, and a cancellation stamp, this note represents an important piece of Mexican numismatic history from the final years before the Mexican Revolution.
Common. The eBay price tracking data shows regular market activity with prices ranging from approximately $95 to $335 USD depending on condition grade, with fair-condition specimens typically commanding $150–$200. The Banco de Durango operated continuously from 1891 to 1914 and this 1910 regular issue (Series F dated January 1, 1910) represents a normal production run from a functioning regional bank during its stable operating period, not a recalled issue or limited emergency emission. Print runs for regional Mexican bank notes of this period were generally substantial, and surviving examples remain reasonably available to collectors.
The Banco de Durango issued this note during the late Porfiriato period, just months before the eruption of the Mexican Revolution in May 1910. The imagery—featuring both the region's religious landmark (the Cathedral of Durango) and agricultural labor—reflects the state's economic foundation in farming and regional pride. Regional banks like Durango maintained their own note-issuing authority until the Mexican Revolution and subsequent banking reforms consolidated monetary control, making this 1910 issue among the bank's final regular emissions before the political upheaval transformed Mexico's financial system.
The obverse features a classical two-vignette design divided by ornate scrollwork borders. On the left is the Cathedral of Durango (Catedral Metropolitana de Durango), recognizable by its twin towers and neoclassical facade, symbolizing the region's religious heritage and civic importance. The right vignette depicts agricultural workers with horses and a cart laden with harvest goods, representing the rural labor that formed the economic base of Durango state. Large ornamental shields framing the denomination '10' occupy the corners in characteristic ABNC style. The reverse presents a symmetrical, decorative design in red/pink with elaborate floral and geometric patterns centered around scrollwork, with matching corner shields. The entire design employs fine-line engraving with detailed cross-hatching characteristic of ABNC's high-security work. A circular seal appears in the upper right of the reverse.
Front: 'BANCO DE DURANGO' (Bank of Durango), 'DIEZ PESOS' (Ten Pesos), 'Nº 080074' (Serial Number 080074), 'Durango' (city name), 'ENERO 1 DE 1910' (January 1, 1910), 'SERIE F' (Series F), 'PAGARÁ A LA VISTA al portador en moneda de plata' (Will pay on sight to the bearer in silver currency), 'CONSEJERO' (Counselor/Advisor), 'INTERVENTOR DEL GOBIERNO' (Government Inspector), 'CAJERO' (Cashier), 'American Bank Note Co., New York' (printer attribution). Back: 'BANCO DE DURANGO' (Bank of Durango), '10' (denomination), 'AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY, NEW YORK' (printer attribution).
This note was produced by the American Bank Note Company (ABNC) in New York using steel plate engraving, the standard security printing method for banknotes of this era. The fine-line engraving with intricate cross-hatching, elaborate scrollwork, and complex geometric border patterns visible throughout both sides demonstrate ABNC's signature high-security approach. The multi-color printing (black on orange/yellow underprint for obverse; red/pink on cream for reverse) was achieved through sequential plate passes, a hallmark of quality banknote production in the early 20th century. These anti-counterfeiting features—ornate vignettes, complex borders, and detailed engraving—reflect ABNC's reputation as a leading security printer of Mexican regional notes.
This specific note is identified as Series F, dated January 1, 1910 (ENERO 1 DE 1910), with serial number 080074. The Pick catalog identifies this as variety P-S274c, part of a series that includes multiple date varieties: Series E (November 5, 1903), Series F (September 5, 1906), and the January 1, 1910 emission observed here. The presence of the government inspector signature line ('INTERVENTOR DEL GOBIERNO') and the formal promissory language ('PAGARÁ A LA VISTA...en moneda de plata') are standard for Durango issues. No overprints or post-printing modifications are evident on this specimen beyond the red cancellation stamp in the upper right, which appears to be a postal or administrative marking rather than a formal overprint variety.
