50 pesos 1903

Common. While this is a note from a regional Mexican bank that is no longer in operation, the eBay price data provided shows circulation examples trading in the $150-250 range, with VG-graded examples likely in the lower-to-middle portion of observed market prices ($185-250 range). The series was printed in substantial quantities by ABNC during the 1901-1909 period (as noted in the catalog reference), and no evidence indicates an exceptionally short print run or recall for this specific Pick number. Regional Mexican banknotes from this era are collectible but not scarce.

Banco Oriental de Mexico was a regional bank operating from Puebla during the early Mexican banking era, before the establishment of a centralized national bank. This note was issued in 1903, during the final years of the Porfirian period in Mexico, when private regional banks still maintained the right to issue currency backed by government authorization. The allegorical imagery and classical design elements reflect the cosmopolitan banking standards of the era, with production by the prestigious American Bank Note Company of New York, the leading international currency printer of the period.

The obverse features a formal portrait of Estebán de Antunano, a 19th-century Mexican industrialist and economist, rendered in profile within a circular medallion on the left side. The right side displays a classical allegorical female figure (representing commerce or prosperity) with a cornucopia horn and attending cherub, typical of contemporary bank note iconography. The center contains a large ornamental oval frame displaying the denomination '50' in substantial numerals. Multiple corner designs feature floral motifs and ornate scrollwork characteristic of the period. The reverse displays the Mexican state arms or civic seal of Puebla within an elaborate central oval, surrounded by radiating inscriptions and additional ornamental border designs. Throughout both sides, fine engraved line work, guilloche patterns, and cross-hatching provide security through complexity of execution.

FRONT: 'Banco Oriental de Mexico' (Oriental Bank of Mexico), 'Cincuenta Pesos' (Fifty Pesos), 'Serie I CXII' (Series 1, 112), serial number '19510' (in red), 'Puebla, 2 de Marzo de 1903' (Puebla, March 2, 1903), 'Consejero' (Counselor), 'Interventor del Gobierno' (Government Inspector/Auditor), 'American Bank Note Co. New York' (printer attribution), 'Pagadal al Portador en esta ciudad a la vista' (Payable to Bearer in this city on demand). BACK: 'Banco Oriental de Mexico' (Oriental Bank of Mexico), 'Mexico' (country name), '50' (denomination repeated), 'American Bank Note Co. New York' (printer attribution), central oval seal with institutional text (partially legible in image).

Steel engraving with intaglio printing, executed by the American Bank Note Company (ABNC). The note demonstrates the hallmark characteristics of late 19th/early 20th-century engraved currency: fine line work, elaborate guilloche patterns, stippled shading, cross-hatching, and multiple color printing (black on green underprint for the obverse; green primary color for the reverse). Serial numbers were applied in red ink separately. Signatures were added by hand in dark ink, a common practice for regional Mexican banks of this period.

This specific example is from Serie I CXII (Series 1, 112) with serial number 19510, dated March 2, 1903. The Pick catalog designation P-S384b indicates this is a cataloged variety within the Banco Oriental de Mexico 50 pesos issue. ABNC notes of this period commonly exist in multiple series and serial ranges. No overprints or special markings are visible on this example beyond standard signatures and dating. The handwritten signature elements and specific series designation help identify this as a distinct impression within the 1901-1909 printing period.