1884 100-peseta banknote (January issue): what it is and what to do if you have one
If you have in front of you a banknote that reads EL BANCO DE ESPAÑA, 100 PESETAS, and the date January 1, 1884, this is what you have: the banknote cataloged as Pick-26 and Edifil 284.
It is part of the January 1, 1884 issue: the Mendizábal issue, four of whose five banknotes feature the portrait of the Minister of the Desamortización (confiscation).
Here you will find who or what appears on it, how to distinguish it from similar-looking ones, how to check if yours is original, and what to do if you want to sell it. You will not find prices: I explain why below.
Juan Álvarez de Mendizábal: who is the face on this banknote
Juan Álvarez de Mendizábal (Cádiz, 1790 - Madrid, 1853) was Minister of Finance and President of the Council of Ministers, and his name is linked to the 1836 desamortización: the expropriation and sale by public auction of the assets of religious orders, with which he intended to settle the State's debt and finance the Carlist War.
He is one of the most debated figures of the 19th century in Spain, and the Bank of Spain dedicated four of the five banknotes of the January 1884 issue to him. It was not a neutral decision: almost fifty years later, the issuing bank was reclaiming a certain idea of liberal finance.
It is worth stating clearly because false information circulates: this issue is from the reign of Alfonso XII, not Alfonso XIII, and it does not contain any "child king" or any child portrait.
Banknote Profile
| Face value | 100 pesetas |
|---|---|
| Banknote date | January 1, 1884 |
| Pick Catalog | P-26 |
| Edifil Catalog | 284 |
| Printer | American Bank Note Company, New York |
| Mintage | 1,000,000 copies |
| Dimensions | 133 × 87 mm |
| Put into circulation | December 24, 1885 |
| Obverse | Bust of Juan Álvarez de Mendizábal surrounded by cherubs, black print on gray and ocher background |
| Reverse | Reddish-orange print with geometric designs, the name of the Bank, and the value |
| Signatures | Juan Francisco Camacho de Alcorta, Benito Fariña Cisneros, and Fernando Pérez Casariego |
How to know if yours is original
It is worth knowing this first and foremost, because far more reproductions than originals circulate of Spanish banknotes from this period: collector sheets from the seventies and eighties, catalog facsimiles, and press reprints.
This banknote was engraved by the American Bank Note Company, the New York firm that printed a large part of the world's paper money at the time. Their work is the easiest to distinguish in the entire series because its quality is far superior:
- Very fine line steel engraving. Under a magnifying glass, the lines of the portrait are sharp and continuous, never a dot pattern.
- Guilloche backgrounds with continuous tracing, generated by a geometric lathe. They are practically impossible to reproduce well in a photographic copy: in a facsimile, they appear blurred or with moiré.
- Imprint of the American Bank Note Company, usually on the bottom edge. Photograph it: it is one of the first things I look at.
- Intaglio relief perceptible to the touch on the portrait, numbers, and letters.
Specific checks for this banknote
- Measure it. This banknote measures 133 × 87 mm. Photographic copies almost always lose two or three millimeters, so a ruler resolves many doubts in ten seconds.
- Check the exact design. On the obverse — bust of Juan Álvarez de Mendizábal surrounded by cherubs, black print on gray and ocher background. On the reverse — reddish-orange print with geometric designs, the name of the Bank, and the value.
- Look at the three signatures. On this banknote, they correspond to Juan Francisco Camacho de Alcorta, Benito Fariña Cisneros, and Fernando Pérez Casariego. A signature that does not match points to another issue or a reproduction.
- Keep the mintage in mind. 1,000,000 copies were printed, but that was over 140 years ago and the vast majority were withdrawn and destroyed.
I will confirm it for you for free. If it turns out to be a reproduction, I will tell you anyway: I have nothing to gain by making you believe otherwise.
Original or facsimile? I will tell you today, with no obligation
WhatsApp +34 644 54 98 79
info@iberoamericanabanknotes.com
What makes it worth more or less
For this banknote, as with the entire nineteenth-century series, conservation rules, and repairs come right after: a washed, pressed copy with glued tears or trimmed margins loses a great deal of value, even if it "looks better."
I do not publish price ranges, and I'll explain why: the value depends entirely on the specific specimen, and that cannot fit into a table. A generic internet figure only serves to lead to disappointment. Send me photos and I will appraise your banknote, not "one like yours."
And before showing it to anyone: do not iron it, do not wash it, do not tape anything with scotch tape, and do not put it in soft PVC. All four things are irreversible. I explain this in detail in the guide to selling old banknotes.
How I buy it from you
You send me photos by WhatsApp —obverse, reverse, a close-up of the numbering, and one backlit— and I will reply in less than 24 hours telling you what you have and, if I am interested, with a firm offer. I pay for the shipping, and I transfer the money the same day I receive and verify the piece; if it does not match the photos, I return it at my expense.
I am Fran, from Iberoamericana Banknotes, an authorized PMG dealer. I also provide appraisals for insurance or inheritance purposes, without purchasing the item, and I can manage the grading by PMG or consignment for you.
I buy throughout Spain, no matter where you live, and the process is always the same. If you are nearby, in any council of Asturias, I will come to see it at your house at no cost, and you can also bring it to my shop in Gijón, on Calle Cabrales 77, by appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is on the 100 pesetas banknote from 1884?
Juan Álvarez de Mendizábal. On the obverse — bust of Juan Álvarez de Mendizábal surrounded by cherubs, black print on gray and ocher background.
How many were printed?
The mintage was 1,000,000 copies. Beware of a common confusion: a high mintage in the 19th century does not mean that many remain today. These banknotes were systematically withdrawn and destroyed, and what counts is how many survive, not how many were made.
How do I know if mine is original or a reproduction?
The quickest way: look at the portrait with a magnifying glass (continuous engraved line in an original, dot pattern in a copy) and run your finger over the letters looking for relief. If you have doubts, send me photos and I will tell you for free, even if it turns out to be a facsimile.
How much is the 100 pesetas banknote from 1884 worth?
It depends entirely on the specimen: conservation, margins, and any repairs move the price drastically. I do not give figures blindly because they would not be honest. With photos, I can tell you what yours is worth in less than 24 hours.
Do you buy it even if it is circulated or has defects?
Yes, provided it is original and has not been restored. For banknotes of this period, honest circulation is not a problem; what really penalizes it is the repair.
The other banknotes of this issue
- 25 pesetas banknote from 1884 (January issue) — the geography lesson
- 50 pesetas banknote from 1884 (January issue) — Mendizábal
- 500 pesetas banknote from 1884 (January issue) — Mendizábal
- 1000 pesetas banknote from 1884 (January issue) — Mendizábal
Other 100 pesetas banknotes from the Bank of Spain
If you are not sure which one yours is, compare it with these: they are all 100 pesetas but from different issues.
- 100 pesetas banknote from 1874 — Juan de Herrera
- 100 pesetas banknote from 1875 — Athena
- 100 pesetas banknote from 1876 — Lope de Vega
- 100 pesetas banknote from 1878 — Garcilaso de la Vega
- 100 pesetas banknote from 1880 — Quevedo
- 100 pesetas banknote from 1884 (July issue) — Alejandro Mon
- 100 pesetas banknote from 1886 — Goya
- 100 pesetas banknote from 1889 — Goya (second issue)
- 100 pesetas banknote from 1893 — Jovellanos
- 100 pesetas banknote from 1898 — Jovellanos
- 100 pesetas banknote from 1900 — Quevedo
- 100 pesetas banknote from 1903 — "the fireman"
- 100 pesetas banknote from 1906 — allegories with the lyre
- 100 pesetas banknote from 1907 — Seville Cathedral
- 100 pesetas banknote from 1925 — Philip II
- 100 pesetas banknote from 1928 — Cervantes
- 100 pesetas banknote from 1936 — Burgos Cathedral
- 100 pesetas banknote from 1937 — General Castaños (the one that never circulated)
- 100 pesetas banknote from 1938 — Lady of Elche
- 100 pesetas banknote from 1946 — Goya
General guide: selling old Bank of Spain banknotes. And if more pesetas have appeared in the same drawer, I tell you which peseta banknotes and coins have value.
Send me a photo of the obverse and another of the reverse and I will tell you today what you have.
WhatsApp +34 644 54 98 79