On Tuesday, the new 500 Mexican peso (26.68 dollars) bill that has the face of former President Benito Juárez and the gray whale as an image came into circulation in Mexico.
However, after the announcement that became official last Monday, Mexicans began to express that they fear confusing the new 500 peso notes with those of 20 (1.6 dollars) that are still in circulation, because, Benito Juárez is also the face of the 20 peso bills and the color is similar between both.
The representatives of the different Chambers of Commerce in Mexico alerted to this possible confusion and asked that the current 20 peso bills be withdrawn from circulation.
According to the President of the Bank of Mexico, Alejandro Díaz de León, the lower value ticket will remain in effect, although it will gradually disappear. So, for at least several months, Mexicans will have to learn to differentiate them so they do not lose out during the payment of goods and services.
Díaz de León said that the images of Juárez and the whale will replace the faces of the artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, who appear in the current notes of this denomination, although it is considered one of the most beautiful in the world, as evaluated by the International Banknote Society.
Now, the new banknote with the face of Benito Juárez will be part of a new family that will include thematic motifs that refer to the historical processes relevant to Mexico and will emphasize its “natural wealth”.
The new bill of 500 will illustrate “the process of the Reformation and the Restoration of the Republic”, is blue and measures 146 millimeters long and 65 millimeters high.
Also, in this same part of the ticket is included a fragment of an engraving by Alberto Beltrán that represents the triumphal entry of Juarez into Mexico City, with which the period known as the Restored Republic began.
On the back is a gray whale with its young, to illustrate the ecosystem of coasts, seas and islands of the Reserve of the Biosphere of El Vizcaino, in Baja California Sur, which has been declared a natural heritage site.
The ticket will also present improvements in its security features, functionality and durability.
“To facilitate the identification of the ticket to people with visual weakness and blindness, three tactile lines were incorporated in the upper left corner,” said Díaz de León.
As for security, in the upper right part of the obverse appears the multicolored denomination, which changes its shade from green to blue depending on the visual angle. It also has a watermark to the right of the face of Juarez with the same portrait and the number 500.
According to Monday’s announcement, the 20 pesos bills will no longer be manufactured and it is not foreseen that in the new series there will be tickets with that denomination, so they will be replaced by currency.
