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The crisis of 1943

In 1943, during the Second World War, Mexico was again faced with a silver crisis (there was a combination of reasons: anticipation of a rise in the price of silver; the Mexican government’s agreement to sell practically its entire silver production to the United States for its military industry; and a boom in the Mexican and US jewellery industries). On 21 August it imposed a heavy export tax on silver products, to make it unprofitable to melt down silver coins to ship as bullion, and temporarily suspended a contract which promised all surplus silver production to the United States. However because of a shortage of fractional coinage, especially the fifty centavos denomination, it was compelled to authorise banks to issue cheques with printed denominations. All these issues were quickly withdrawn.

Banco Mercantil del Bajio 50c 007513

Banco Mercantil del Bajio 50c 007513 reverse

  date on note from to total
number
total
value
 
25c 1 September 1943      100,000 $ 25,000
 
50c     150,000 $ 75,000 includes numbers 007513 to 44433
        $100,000  

 

In Aguascalientes the Cámara Nacional de Comercio issued 100,000 25c and 150,000 50c chequesquantities from Saul Renato Garibay, Historia Numismática de Aguascalientes, January 1985, drawn on the Banco Mercantil del Bajio, S. A., dated 1 September. The 50c note was signed by [            ][identification needed] and [             ][identification needed].

  sig Camara Aguascalientes 1
  sig Camara Aguascalientes 2