Product Description:
Long before Mexico's currency was redenominated and redesigned, the old peso carried portraits of the heroes who built the nation — and none loomed larger than Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the Catholic priest whose cry of independence in 1810 set off a decade of revolution that would ultimately end three centuries of Spanish colonial rule. This 10 Pesos banknote, issued by El Banco de México S.A. and dated February 3, 1971, bears Hidalgo's commanding portrait on the obverse and pairs it on the reverse with the parish church of Dolores Hidalgo — the very building from whose tower he rang the bell that summoned his congregation to revolt. It is a note that wears its history openly, on both sides. Housed in a protective rigid currency holder and elegantly presented within a handsome wood display frame with a black matted backdrop, this piece of Mexican monetary history arrives ready to display.
(PSV 10)
Highlights:
- Issued by El Banco de México S.A., dated 3 Feb. 1971, Serie 1BM
- Portrait of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla — Father of Mexican Independence
- Reverse features the Parish Church of Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato — birthplace of the Mexican independence movement
- Serial number M4937939 — the exact note pictured
- Obverse also features the Liberty Bell of Dolores and pre-Columbian guardian figures
- Demonetized — superseded by the nuevo peso in 1993 at 1,000:1
- Beautifully framed and ready for display
Banknote Information:
- Country: United Mexican States
- Issuing Authority: El Banco de México S.A.
- Denomination: 10 Pesos (old peso)
- Date of Issue: 3 Feb. 1971
- Series: 1BM
- Serial Number: M4937939
- Pick Number: P-63 (1969–1977 series)
- Demonetization Status: Demonetized — replaced by the nuevo peso January 1, 1993, at a rate of 1,000 old pesos to 1 nuevo peso
Design Details:
Obverse: The right side of the note is anchored by a powerful intaglio portrait of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla — bald, stern, and unmistakable — rendered in deep brown and black against the note's warm multicolor ground. His name "HIDALGO" appears in small text beside the portrait. "EL BANCO DE MÉXICO S.A." runs across the top, with the promise "PAGARÁ / diez pesos / A LA VISTA AL PORTADOR" at center — the classic bearer note language that characterized Mexican currency of this era. Serie 1BM and serial number M4937939 appear in red at upper left and lower right respectively. At center left, a striking vignette depicts the Liberty Bell of Dolores — the actual bell Hidalgo rang on the night of September 15–16, 1810 — flanked by two pre-Columbian warrior or guardian figures. The date 3 feb. 1971 appears below the signatures of the Consejero, Calero, and Interventor de la Comisión Nacional Bancaria. A stylized Aztec eagle watermark seal appears in red and blue at center.
Reverse: The back of the note is dominated by a detailed engraved rendering of the Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores — the Parish Church of Dolores Hidalgo in the state of Guanajuato. Its twin baroque towers rise against the sky, and the facade's intricate churrigueresque stonework is captured with remarkable precision. "BANCO DE MEXICO S.A." runs across the top in bold lettering, with "DIEZ PESOS" and "10 DIEZ" flanking the church vignette. A stylized Aztec serpent or feathered creature appears at lower center left, adding a pre-Columbian design element that bridges Mexico's indigenous and colonial heritage. The overall palette is earthy purple, teal, and brown — characteristic of the Mexican peso series of this era.
Historical Significance:
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was not a soldier or a politician — he was a parish priest. Born in 1753 in Guanajuato, he had spent decades serving rural communities when, in the early 1800s, he became convinced that Mexico's criollo and indigenous population could no longer endure Spanish colonial exploitation. On the night of September 15, 1810, in the small town of Dolores, he rang the bell of his parish church and delivered what became known as the Grito de Dolores — the Cry of Dolores — calling his parishioners to arms. Within days, his ragged army of farmers, miners, and indigenous workers had swelled to tens of thousands.
Hidalgo's military campaign was ultimately unsuccessful — he was captured and executed by firing squad in 1811, less than a year after the Grito. But the movement he ignited could not be stopped. Mexico achieved independence in 1821, and Hidalgo was posthumously declared the Father of the Nation. Every year on the night of September 15, the President of Mexico rings a replica of the Dolores bell from the balcony of the National Palace and recites the Grito de Dolores — a ceremony that has continued without interruption since independence.
The church on the reverse of this note — the Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores — is the same building from whose tower Hidalgo rang his fateful bell. It still stands in the city of Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, which was renamed in his honor. It remains one of the most visited patriotic sites in all of Mexico.
The old Mexican peso notes of the 1970s are now decades removed from circulation, having been swept away by the devastating hyperinflation of the 1980s and the subsequent monetary reform of 1993, which introduced the nuevo peso at a ratio of 1,000 to 1 — effectively acknowledging that the old peso had lost so much value that three zeros needed to be struck from the currency. Notes like this 10 Pesos example, which once represented meaningful purchasing power, became obsolete overnight — and are today sought by collectors of Latin American currency and Mexican history alike. Serial number M4937939 — the exact note pictured — will ship to its new owner just as shown.
Presentation: Housed in a protective rigid currency holder and elegantly presented within a handsome wood display frame with a black matted backdrop. Ready to hang or display as-is — no additional framing or handling required.
For additional details or collector inquiries, please contact MetalStacks at (561) 529-3001 or support@metalstacks.com. Join the Community. Earn Silver. Stack Smarter.