Catalog
1 Pound
| Issuer | Union Bank of Australia Limited |
|---|---|
| Year | ND (1910) |
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| Reference(s) | P#A130 |
| Obverse description | Black and red intaglio print on white paper. Left vignette bears a portrait of Queen Victoria in formal regalia; central guilloche underprint in red with the promise text and denomination ONE POUND in bold letterpress. Upper centre vignette shows an allegorical pastoral scene with figures. Marginal text reads THE UNION BANK OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED vertically on both sides. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Printed in blue-green on white paper, the reverse is dominated by an elaborate symmetrical guilloche design incorporating eight medallions bearing the coats of arms of the Australian colonies arranged around a central ornate cipher. Corner numerals and intricate lathe-work borders frame the composition. Printer's imprint appears in a small panel at lower centre. |
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| Comments |
The Union Bank of Australia Limited was absorbed into the Bank of Australasia in 1951 — but this note predates that merger by four decades, issued during the final years when private banks in Australia still circulated their own pound notes without federal interference. The Commonwealth Bank Act of 1911 began shifting that power toward the government, making notes from this transitional window genuinely scarce survivors of a short-lived issuing environment.
Waterlow & Sons produced the plate work in London, a common arrangement for Australian private banks that lacked domestic security printing infrastructure of comparable quality.