5 pesos 1909

Common. eBay market data shows this issue type trading in the $30-$145 range with multiple listings, and the Fair condition grade of this specific note places it in the lower-value range consistent with heavily circulated examples. The 1900-1914 series from Banco Oriental de Mexico was a regular issue with substantial print runs, evidenced by the availability of multiple examples in various conditions on the secondary market. No evidence of scarcity or recall status for this Pick number.

The Banco Oriental de Mexico operated during a transitional period in Mexican financial history, issuing this note just months before the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution in May 1911. The Cathedral of Puebla depicted on the obverse reflects the bank's regional identity in Puebla state, while the portrait of Esteban de Antúnano, a 19th-century Mexican industrialist and reformer, honored a key figure in Mexico's economic development. The note's promise to pay 'al portador' (to the bearer) on demand represents the gold-standard backed currency conventions of the pre-revolutionary Mexican banking system.

The obverse features a formal portrait of Esteban de Antúnano in left oval medallion, depicted as a bearded gentleman in 19th-century formal dress, positioned opposite the iconic Cathedral of Puebla in the right medallion with its characteristic twin towers prominently displayed. The denomination 'Cinco Pesos' dominates the center in large text, surrounded by ornate rosette patterns and classical scrollwork borders typical of ABNC security printing. The reverse presents a highly symmetrical design in red and green with a central circular heraldic seal containing state arms, elaborate guilloche patterns throughout, and decorative elements in each corner including a small postage stamp-style vignette in the upper left and coat of arms in upper right. The color scheme combines tan/beige paper with black, red, pink, and green inks, while handwritten signatures in blue ink appear on the obverse.

FRONT: 'EL BANCO ORIENTAL DE MEXICO' (The Oriental Bank of Mexico) | 'Cinco Pesos' (Five Pesos) | 'EN EFECTIVO' (In cash/Legal tender) | 'pagará al portador, en esta ciudad, á la vista' (will pay to the bearer, in this city, at sight) | 'México, Septiembre 1º de 1909' (Mexico, September 1st, 1909) | 'Serie L. CXXXI' (Series L. 131) | 'Gerente' (Manager) | 'Interventor del Gobierno' (Government Interventor) | 'Consejero' (Counselor) | Serial numbers: 166279 and 666276. BACK: 'BANCO ORIENTAL DE MEXICO' (Oriental Bank of Mexico) | '1909-1910' (Year dates) | 'American Bank Note Co. New York' (printer attribution on both sides). Additional Latin inscription 'DENTUO VISIDEVS' appears on back. Postage stamp element shows 'MEXICO' and '2 CENTS'.

Steel engraving (intaglio printing) executed by the American Bank Note Company of New York, as credited on both sides of the note. The fine line engraving is evident in the complex ornamental patterns, elaborate guilloche work, and detailed portraiture. Multiple-color printing was employed, with black on orange and yellow underprint on the obverse and red on orange on the reverse, demonstrating ABNC's advanced color separation techniques of the period. Serial numbers were applied in red ink, likely by hand or specialized machinery.

This note is cataloged as Pick P-S381b, representing a specific dated printing from September 1, 1909 (one of three documented printing dates: 1.5.1901, 30.6.1901, and 1.9.1909). The serial numbers visible on this example (166279 left, 666276 right) and Series L. CXXXI (131) notation help identify the specific printing batch and sheet position. Regional variations may exist among the 1900-1914 series, but this particular example represents the latest documented printing date before the bank's operations were affected by revolutionary disruptions.