El Banco De Sonora P-S419 - Hermosillo Foreign Paper Money - Mexico Uncut Sheet of Currency

Uncut sheet of 6-5 pesos notes. P-S419. Printed by American Bank Note Co., New York.

El Banco de Sonora, established on September 18, 1897, in Hermosillo, emerged after multiple unsuccessful attempts to establish a state bank in the region. According to historical records in Paper Money of Mexico, the bank was authorized under the Ley General de Instituciones de Crédito with an initial capital of 500,000 pesos. Prominent figures like Próspero Sandoval and Luis A. Martínez were among its founding concessionaires. During the Porfiriato, the bank quickly became a vital pillar of regional economic development. Notably, its currency featured the portrait of Hortensia Corral Vélez, daughter of the bank’s major shareholder and future Vice President of Mexico, Ramón Corral.

The Mexican Revolution and subsequent economic instability severely tested the bank’s operations. While it managed to survive the initial conflict, it faced significant challenges in the late 1920s, including a temporary closure in 1929 during the Escobarista rebellion when rebels seized funds from its branches. As reported by Expreso, the bank ultimately succumbed to a combination of excessive unrecovered credits and the broader impact of the Great Depression. Consequently, it officially closed its doors in 1933. The bank’s historic neoclassical headquarters in Hermosillo later served various public functions and currently houses the Instituto Sonorense de Cultura.