5 pesos 1914
About This Note
This 5 Pesos note from the Estado de Durango (January 1914) represents an important example of Mexican revolutionary-era state currency. The front features an elegant winged allegorical female figure in classical style, rendered through fine engraving on tan/beige paper with pink/red accents. In Fair condition, this note shows substantial age-related wear including foxing, discoloration, and creasing consistent with over a century of circulation, yet the intricate border work and allegorical imagery remain discernible.
Common. Estado de Durango issued multiple denominations and series during 1914 in response to revolutionary currency demands. Series B notes from January 1914 appear regularly in collector markets. The observed serial number (55059) suggests a moderate production run typical of state emergency currency. Fair condition examples are frequently encountered in Mexican Revolutionary note collections, indicating no significant rarity premium.
Issued during the Mexican Revolution at a transitional moment (January 1914), this Durango state note reflects the period when regional authorities issued their own currency due to central government instability. The winged female allegorical figure symbolizes Liberty or Justice, classical iconography common to Mexican republican currency. The note's reference to the 'Constitutionalist Government' on the reverse endorsement links it to the Carranza faction's legitimacy efforts during the conflict.
The obverse features a finely engraved allegorical female figure representing Liberty, depicted with classical winged elements and holding a banner or flag, positioned on the left side of the note. Below this main vignette is a small landscape element. The design employs ornate decorative borders with repeated geometric patterns and corner elements featuring the numeral '5'. The reverse is minimal, consisting primarily of an ornamental printed border (top and bottom) with space reserved for official handwritten validation or circulation notation. The overall composition reflects late 19th/early 20th-century security printing practices, with emphasis on intricate engraving as an anti-counterfeiting measure.
FRONT: 'El Estado de Durango / Pagará al portador la cantidad de / CINCO PESOS / SERIE B / ENERO de 1914 / CINCO 5 PESOS / AL GOBERNADOR / EL DIRECTOR GENERAL DE RENTAS' = 'The State of Durango / Will pay to bearer the sum of / FIVE PESOS / SERIES B / JANUARY 1914 / FIVE 5 PESOS / TO THE GOVERNOR / THE GENERAL DIRECTOR OF REVENUE' | Serial Number: 55059. BACK: Handwritten official endorsement referencing 'Correspondencia circulante por el [unclear] al Gobierno Constitucionalista...' = 'Circulating correspondence from [unclear] to the Constitutionalist Government...' (handwriting heavily faded and partially illegible, indicating official circulation mark or validation notation).
Intaglio engraving (recess printing) for the main design elements, borders, and allegorical figure, evidenced by the fine line work and detailed rendering visible despite age-related deterioration. The note was printed using multiple color passes (black/gray primary design with pink/red accents), suggesting steel plate engraving by a commercial security printer. The handwritten additions on the reverse indicate post-printing official validation by state authorities.
This note is identified as Pick P-S732, Series B, dated January 1914. Key variety identifiers: Series B designation, January 1914 date, serial number 55059. The handwritten back endorsement mentioning 'Gobierno Constitucionalista' is characteristic of this issuing period. No known major varieties for this Pick number have been catalogued, though minor variations in serial number ranges and signature positions may exist across the series.
