20 pesos 1901

Common. The eBay market data shows significant trading activity with prices ranging from $1.99 to $380.00 USD, indicating healthy supply and variable demand primarily based on condition grade. UNC specimens command premium prices ($285-$286), but VG-grade notes like this example fall in the lower-to-mid price range typical of available circulated examples. The Banco Oriental de México issued these notes across multiple dates (1900-1914 per catalog), suggesting reasonable print quantities. Regional Mexican bank notes from this period are generally common in collector circulation.

The Banco Oriental de México operated during Mexico's Porfiriato period (1876-1911) under President Porfirio Díaz, when regional banks were authorized to issue their own currency backed by metallic reserves. The Liberty monument and architectural imagery on the reverse reflect the period's emphasis on progress and constitutional ideals, while the Latin and Spanish inscriptions demonstrate the blend of classical and nationalist symbolism typical of this era. This 1901 note predates the Mexican Revolution by a decade and represents the final phase of Porfirian monetary stability before the system's collapse.

The obverse features an allegorical female figure representing Liberty or Justice in classical robes standing on an ornamental pedestal on the left side, paired with a formal portrait of Estebán de Antúnáno (a prominent Puebla businessman and industrialist) on the right. The denomination '20' is prominently displayed in ornate decorative cartouches in the center. The reverse displays an architectural medallion in the center oval containing what appears to be a cathedral or civic building, surrounded by symmetrical pilaster designs and an ornate heraldic seal in pink/magenta in the upper right corner. The entire design is framed by fine scrollwork and asterisk motifs typical of American Bank Note Company's anti-counterfeiting border patterns. The color scheme of black and brown/red inks on beige stock is typical of early 1900s Mexican banknote production.

FRONT: 'EL BANCO ORIENTAL DE MÉXICO' (The Oriental Bank of Mexico); 'PAGARÁ AL PORTADOR, EN ESTA CIUDAD, LA METÁLICA EN EFECTIVO' (Will pay to the bearer, in this city, the metal in cash/specie); 'VEINTE PESOS' (Twenty pesos); 'PUEBLA' (Puebla); '30 de Junio DE 1901' (June 30, 1901); 'No 23180' (Serial number); 'GERENTE' (Manager); 'INTERVENTOR DEL GOBIERNO' (Government Comptroller); 'CONSEJERO' (Counselor); 'AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY, NEW YORK'. BACK: 'BENICIO' (Beneficial); 'ANGELIS SVIS DEVS' (God [watches over] his angels - Latin); Reference to 'CALAMIDADES' (calamities); '20' (denomination in cartouches); 'AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY, NEW YORK'.

Intaglio engraving (line engraving), as evidenced by the fine detailed linework, ornate borders, and dimensional quality observable in the imagery. The American Bank Note Company of New York was renowned for its intaglio technique, producing the steel-engraved plates that created the security features visible in this note. The red and black ink colors, serial numbers in red, and signature areas suggest multi-color printing with carefully registered plates.

This specific example is dated 30 de Junio de 1901 with serial number 23180. The Pick catalog lists multiple printing dates for this design (1.5.1901, 12.6.1901, and 1.9.1909), indicating multiple print runs. The visual analysis shows handwritten red ink signatures (likely manager, government inspector, and counselor signatures as indicated by labels on the note), which vary by individual note. The catalog designation P-S383b indicates this is the 'b' variety of this Pick number, suggesting known varieties exist for this denomination/issuer combination, though the specific distinguishing characteristic of this variety is not evident from the visual analysis provided.