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TESORERÍA GENERAL DEL ESTADO – 15 |
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REFERENCE:
Prendergast, Simon C. VILLA‘S SÁBANAS, unpublished manuscript.
DISCUSSION:
Mr. Prendergast’s manuscript contains the following footnote extracted from El Periódico Oficial del Estado de Chihuahua, Guanajuato, 10 Diciembre 1914, regarding the 1 peso notes of the TESORERIA GENERAL DEL ESTADO.
“He aqui cómo se distinguen los de la emisión lanzada en Chihuahua, el 10 de Diciembre de 1913.” *************************** BILLETES DE $1. - *************************** Sirvanse notar que una gran mayoría de estos billetes falsos, está impresa en papel HAMMER BOND marca que nunca se ha usado en los buenos y que se puede distinguir perfectamente bien, mirando el billete al trasluz ó introduciendolo en el agua.”
*************************** (“It is useful to note that a great majority of these counterfeit notes are printed on paper marked HAMMER BOND which has never been used in the genuine notes of the issue, and that they can be easily detected by looking at them held up to a strong light or by immersing them in water.“)
No other references to the use of watermarked papers have been found to date. We have no specific knowledge of whether or not watermarked papers were used for genuine issues in other denominations. Paper was in extremely short supply throughout the nation during the revolution, and in many cases, printers used whatever was at hand to print both genuine and bogus notes.
The simple design of the Tesorería General del Estado notes of General Villa invited counterfeiting. Since Villa’s notes were readily acceptable, even in the border towns of the U.S.A., it made sense to the criminal mind to copy the notes and reap the benefits. Counterfeiting became such a problem with the Tesorería General del Estado issues, that they were soon supplanted by the Estado de Chihuahua notes of 1914 and 1915.
A search of the Tesorería General del Estado notes in the collections of Mr. Simon C. Prendergast and of the editor yielded surprising results. At least eleven different watermarks have been identified for these notes. Many of the notes found with watermarks appear to be genuine. A query was sent to the State of Chihuahua regarding the use of watermarked papers, but as yet, not been answered. It is quite possible that records of note production no longer exist in the State Archives.
A review of Estado de Chihuahua notes in both collections found NO watermarked paper used for either genuine or counterfeit notes.
The majority of the Tesorería General del Estado notes in both collections were found with only fragmentary watermarks consisting of one or several letters, or the word “BOND”. These cannot be identified as belonging to a specific brand of watermarked paper. The watermarks that have been, or may be identified are listed below, along with the denomination and serial number of the notes on which they were found. |
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KNOWN CONTEMPORARY WATERMARKS |
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SN: 1675 – Known contemporary counterfeit.
SN: 15213 – Known contemporary counterfeit. SN: 17754 – Known contemporary counterfeit.
SN: 11494 – Known contemporary counterfeit, but with validation stamp INSPECCIÓN DE POLICÍA – TOLUCA – MÉXICO SN: 11852 – Known contemporary counterfeit. |
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“Brother Jonathan Bond” manufacturer unknown |
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Serie A
Serie B
Serie A |
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5 pesos
10 pesos
20 pesos |
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SN: 12461 – w/overprint REVALIDADO POR DECRETO DE 17 DE DICIEMBRE DE 1914 and validation stamp PAGADURÍA GENERAL– TORREÓN, COAH.
SN: 22969 – w/validation stamp JUZGADO MUNICIPAL DE CANATLÁN – PARTIDO DE DURANGO. |
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Serie A
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20 pesos |
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“HAMMER BOND” manufacturer unknown |
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Reported in El Periódico Oficial del Estado de Chihuahua, Guanajuato, 10 Diciembre 1914 as appearing on counterfeit 1 peso notes, this watermark has not yet been seen in an identifiable state. |
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Serie BB
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25 centavos |
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SN: 98 SN: 3702 SN: 4688 SN: 62265 SN: 67173 |
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1 peso |
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Serie C
Serie E
Serie F
Serie G |
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SN: 34244 SN: 65723
SN: 16349
SN: 21129 SN: 64439
SN: 2897 |
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5 pesos |
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Serie A |
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SN: 18832 – w/ validation stamp PAGADURÍA GENERAL – TORREÓN, COAH, and one unidentified stamp. SN: 77898 – w/ validation stamps TESORERÍA MUNICIPAL, SILAO, GTO. and TESORERÍA GENERAL DEL ESTADO – CHIHUAHUA and RECAUDACIÓN DE RENTAS DE CIUDAD JUÁREZ. |
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“DIANA BOND” manufacturer unknown |
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ALL NOTES SEEN WITH THIS WATERMARK APPEAR TO BE GENUINE |
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SN: 18776 SN: 35153 |
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“OLD HAMPSHIRE BOND” Manufactured by Weston Paper Company, now part of Crane and Company, Dalton, Massachusetts. |
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ALL NOTES SEEN WITH THIS WATERMARK APPEAR TO BE GENUINE |
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Serie K |
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1 peso |
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SN: 25912 SN: 41242 SN: 68177 – with validation stamp PAGADURÍA GENERAL – TORREÓN, COAH. |
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SN: 30580 – without treasury seal on back. SN: 30600 SN: 66003 – with overprint REVALIDADO POR DECRETO DE 17 DE DICIEMBRE DE 1914. SN: 76066 – with validation stamps JEFATURA DE HACIENDA EN EL ESTADO – GUADALAJARA, JAL. below: State coat-of-arms, and JEFATURA DE HACIENDA EN EL ESTADO DE JALISCO, GUADALAJARA SN: 92660 – with validation stamps as above on SN: 76066 SN: 96170 – with validation stamp GOBIERNO CONTITUCIONALISTA – JEFATURA DE HACIENDA – DURANGO |
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Serie L |
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SN: 1521 |
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Serie M |
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SN: 16906 SN: 18083 SN: 87776 |
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Serie N
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SN: 44350 SN: 69750 |
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Serie O |
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SN: 9622 SN: 71855 SN: 73066 |
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Serie P |
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SN: 45874 SN: 74509 |
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Serie R |
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SN: 71711 |
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Serie S
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SN: 27125 SN: 54646 |
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Serie T
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SN: 9751 SN: 18072 SN: 23164 |
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Serie C |
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SN: 24884 – with three validations stamps JEFATURA DE HACIENDA, GUADALAJARA, JALISCO. |
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Serie A |
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25 centavos |
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Serie I
Serie J
Serie K
Serie H |
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SN: 8357
SN: 21602
SN: 47631
SN: 90561 |
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5 pesos |
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10 pesos |
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Serie A |
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20 pesos |
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“Oriole Linen Bond” with ‘bird in flight’ logo. manufacturer unknown |
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ALL NOTES SEEN WITH THIS WATERMARK APPEAR TO BE GENUINE |
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SN: 92271
SN: 8448
SN: 12909 SN: 93066 |
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Serie B
Serie D
Serie W |
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25 centavos |
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SN: 31969 – with validation stamps JEFATURA DE HACIENDA EN EL ESTADO – GUADALAJARA, JAL. below: State coat-of-arms, and JEFATURA DE HACIENDA EN EL ESTADO DE JALISCO, GUADALAJARA. SN: 64126 – with validation stamp RENTA DEL TIMBRE MUNICIPAL, NUEVO LEÓN. SN: 79326 – with overprint REVALIDADO POR DECRETO DE 17 DE DICIEMBRE DE 1914. SN: 83961 – with validation stamps PAGADURÍA GENERAL – TORREÓN, COAH. and GOBIERNO CONSTITUCIONALISTA, PRESIDENCIA MUNICIPAL – LEÓN, GTO. SN: 96206 |