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The extent of the economic chaos all across Mexico is evidenced by the number of state-issued paper monies that appeared throughout the year.
El Estado de Sonora (The State of Sonora) issued, on January 1, 1915, this beautiful series of notes prepared and printed by the American Bank Note Company of New York City. The notes feature portraits of the martyred Francisco I. Madero at left, and José María Pino Suárez at right. Denominations were 25 and 50 centavos, 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 pesos. |
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The War of the Winners - 2 |
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El Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa (The Free and Sovereign State of Sinaloa) issued this handsome series of notes prepared and printed by the firm of Britton & Rey, San Francisco, California. Denominations were 25 and 50 centavos, 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 pesos. All notes of this issue are dated February 22, 1915. The portraits are of Benito Juárez at left, and Francisco I. Madero at right. |
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In the State of Mexico paper was issued in the name of the E(stado) Libre y Soberano de México (Free and Sovereign State of Mexico). Issued on March 1, 1915, this series of notes consisted of denominations of 20 and 50 centavos, 1 and 5 pesos. |
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The E(stado) L(ibre) y S(oberano) de HIDALGO (Free and Sovereign State of Hidalgo), on May 1, 1915, issued cartones (small pasteboard chits) in denominations of 10, 20, 25 and 50 centavos. |
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La Tesorería General del Estado de Colima (The General Treasury of the State of Colima) issued paper money in denominations of 20 and 50 centavos, and 1 and 5 pesos on June 15, 1915. |
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A number of municipalities throughout Mexico also issued paper money, usually in small denominations. For example, the Ayuntamiento de 1915, Iguala, Gro. (The Town Council of 1915, Iguala, Guerrero) made an extensive issue of small denomination cartones. Values were 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 20, 25, and 50 centavos, and 1 peso. The number of varieties is mind-boggling. These cartones were issued on pasteboard of various colors and on paper. They were issued with borders and without borders. This is one of only a few paper issues in the state of Guerrero. |
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On March 9, 1915, the Ayuntamiento de la H. Zitácuaro (Council of the Hacienda Zitácuaro), Michoacán, issued a 50 centavos note. Undated cartones were issued for 10 and 20 centavos, and probably belong to this issue. |
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On June 1, 1915, La Tesorería Municipal (the Municipal Treasury) of the town of Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, issued cartones in denominations of 5, 10, and 20 centavos. |
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The fortunes of war had a great impact on the issue of both coins and paper during 1915. On February 13, 1915, Generals Manuel Diéguez and Francisco Murguía withdrew from Guadalajara and the city was occupied once again by General Villa. In spite of the lavish distribution of his own paper money, business was suffering for want of small change. Villa ordered the issued of copper coins in denominations 1, 2 and 5 centavos in the name of his Ejército del Norte (Army of the North). |
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Villa also occupied the city of Aguascalientes. He ordered copper coins produced there in denominations of 1, 2, 5, and 20 centavos. The coins were struck at the National Railroad machine shop in Aguascalientes. |
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By late April, the Villistas had been driven from the city of Guadalajara once again. On May 1, General Obregón authorized a renewed issue of notes in the name of La Pagaduría Gral. del Cuerpo de Ejército del Noroeste (the Paymaster General of the Corps of the Army of the Northwest) in denominations of 50 centavos, 1, 5, 10, and 20 pesos. The original design of the 1914 issue of notes was retained with only minor color changes.
On June 8, 1915, La Dirreción Gral. de Rentas del Estado de Jalisco (Directorate of Revenue of the State of Jalisco) issued a series of fractional currency notes in denominations of 5, 20, and 50 centavos. It is possible that these notes were meant to replace the Villista Ejercito del Norte coins. |
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The case of the Military Governor of the State of Michoacán, General Gertrudis Sánchez, is typical of the dilemma faced by the cabecillas following the Convention of Aguascalientes. An appointee of Carranza, he announced for the Conventionists in November 1914. Under constant pressure from both sides, he allowed General Murgía’s Constitutionalist troops to pass through his domain in December 1914, on their way to reinforce General Diéguez at Guadalajara, Jalisco, against Villa. In April 1915, Villa ordered his execution. |
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By April 1915, Obregón was keeping Zapata’s army at bay in and around Mexico City, and began to pursue Pancho Villa with the aim of destroying his army completely. The great battles of the “War of the Winners” began with the defeat of Villa at Celaya, Guanajuato, on April 6th. Villa had never faced defensive emplacements guarded by barbed wire and machinegun fire, and paid for his inexperience with terrible losses. The invincible Centaur of the North had been decisively defeated. Nor did Villa learn from his mistakes at Celaya. A week later he attacked Obregón on the same field, and again was defeated with tremendous losses in men and materiél. As Villa began to withdraw to the north, Obregón followed, engaging Villa only when he felt he could soundly drub him. |