Mexico 5 Pesos Algerian Girl 1963 Pick 60h UNC Banknote
The Mexico 5 Pesos 1963 Pick 60h is one of the classic Banco de México banknotes produced by the prestigious American Bank Note Company (ABNC).
Dated 24 April 1963, this particular variety is catalogued as Pick 60h and was issued with series letters AIE–AJJ. The note measures approximately 157 × 67–68 mm and was produced on cotton-based banknote paper. Banco de México
Its elegant engraved portrait and iconic Mexican monument make it an attractive example of mid-20th-century Latin American banknote design.
Historical Background
Banco de México relied extensively on the American Bank Note Company of New York for the production of its early banknotes. The third generation of these ABNC-produced notes circulated over several decades, with the 5 Pesos denomination issued between 1937 and 1970. Banco de México
The 1963 note belongs to this long-running family and predates Banco de México’s transition toward domestically manufactured banknotes.
Today these notes are demonetized and survive primarily as numismatic collectibles. Banco de México
Technical Specifications
- Country: Mexico
- Denomination: 5 Pesos
- Date: 24 April 1963
- Pick Number: P-60h
- Condition: Uncirculated (UNC)
- Issuer: Banco de México
- Printer: American Bank Note Company (ABNC), New York
- Currency: Mexican Peso (MXP)
- Material: Cotton paper
- Dimensions: Approximately 157 × 67 mm
- Series: AIE–AJJ
- Type: Standard circulation banknote
- Status: Demonetized Banco de México
Obverse
The obverse features:
- Portrait known as the “Algerian Girl”
- Banco de México title
- Large 5 Pesos denomination numerals
- Multicoloured underprint
- Red serial numbers
- Ornate guilloche engraving
- Date 24 April 1963
- American Bank Note Company imprint
The central portrait is based on the ABNC engraving “Ideal Head of an Algerian Girl” by engraver Robert Savage. In Mexico, the woman depicted on the note became popularly known as “La Gitana” (The Gypsy).
Reverse
The reverse features the famous Monument to Independence, better known as El Ángel de la Independencia, in Mexico City.
Designed by architect Antonio Rivas Mercado, with sculpture by Enrique Alciati, the monument was inaugurated in 1910 to commemorate the centenary of the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence. Numista
Its presence on the banknote gives the reverse one of the most recognisable national motifs found on classic Mexican paper money.
Security Features
As a banknote produced during the early 1960s, its security relied heavily on sophisticated engraving and printing rather than the advanced threads, holograms and optically variable devices found on modern currency.
Features include:
- Detailed intaglio-style engraving
- Complex guilloche patterns
- Fine-line printing
- Multicoloured underprint
- Red serial numbering
- High-detail portrait engraving
- Intricate denomination ornaments
Why Add This Banknote to Your Collection?
The Mexico 5 Pesos 1963 Pick 60h UNC banknote is an attractive example of the celebrated engraved banknotes produced for Mexico by the American Bank Note Company.
It is particularly appealing for collectors of Mexican currency, Latin American banknotes, ABNC-printed notes, historic portrait banknotes, Mexico City themes and classic UNC world paper money.
Collector’s Note
The 1963 issue can be identified specifically as Pick 60h, dated 24 April 1963 and associated with series AIE–AJJ. PCGS additionally identifies this variety by the placement of “MEXICO, D.F.” before the date, an important detail for distinguishing P-60h from other varieties of the long-running 5 Pesos design.
The design itself had considerable longevity: versions of this 5 Pesos type were issued from the 1950s through 1970, with changes in dates, series and inscription details creating numerous collectible Pick varieties. Numista
