The Guadalajara Reporter

Mexico’s many revolutions bred an exotic, sometimes puzzling array of new monies as regimes changed

It is akin to something akin to universal law: During times of peace a government’s need for money (often no matter what its real value) is merely chronic; during a revolution the need is bottomless.  Throughout history as the turbulent winds of revolution raged across Mexico, countless state, municipal and national governments were rearranged.  With each shift of rebellious wind, the more temporary of the affected governments were barely able to keep city and pueblo shops open.  The more canny (and sometimes shifty) businesses lasted long enough to come to shrewd grips of their dilemma and began, quite literally, making money – of their own.

At one time historians claim that nearly two billion pesos in revolutionary paper money was in circulation throughout the Republic.  And about the same time – 1910 through 1920 – the mint in Mexico City continued to strike coins every year, although the normal flow slowed to a trickle in 1915 when only one, two or five peso centavo coins were produced.

Please login or subscribe to view the complete article.