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1 Pound
| Issuer | The Natal Bank Limited |
|---|---|
| Year | 1906 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Pound |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is printed in dark purple and grey intaglio on white cotton paper, with a central allegorical vignette at the top showing two classical female figures flanking a coat of arms, with a maritime scene in the background. The bank title THE NATAL BANK LIMITED is inscribed in bold letterpress within a prominent panel across the centre, below which a promise-to-pay clause reads "We Promise to pay the Bearer on Demand at our Office here the Sum of ONE POUND Sterling value received," with the denomination ONE POUND set within a decorative panel. Corner medallions carry the numeral "1" within intricate guilloche frames, and signature lines for Accountant and Manager appear at the foot, with the printer's imprint of Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. Le Bas Graves, London along the bottom margin. |
|---|---|
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| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Comments |
The Natal Bank Limited was one of the more substantial colonial banks operating in southern Africa in the early twentieth century, but it didn't survive long after this note was printed. The bank collapsed in 1908 following a run triggered by liquidity concerns — just two years after this issue — and was absorbed by the National Bank of South Africa. Notes from this issuer are consequently scarce simply because the bank's operational life was so short.
Bradbury, Wilkinson produced the plate work, as they did for a significant portion of southern African colonial bank issues of the period. The Le Bas Graves credit refers to an engraving studio whose work Bradbury, Wilkinson incorporated into several colonial commissions.