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1 Pound - Victoria Union Bank of Australia
| Issuer | Union Bank of Australia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1859-1869 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Crowned bust of Queen Victoria at upper left, with a central vignette of Britannia seated, holding a spear and shield, accompanied by a lion and a sailing ship in the background; the arms of the institution appear at lower right. The composition is executed in fine intaglio engraving characteristic of Perkins, Bacon & Co. production, with the place of issue, CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND, inscribed above and below the principal vignette. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | UNION BANK OF AUSTRALIA CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND WE PROMISE TO PAY THE BEARER HERE IN DEMAND ONE POUND STG. CHRISTCHURCH FOR THE DIRECTORS & COMPANY |
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| Comments |
The Union Bank of Australia was a London-registered colonial bank operating branches across the Australian colonies, New Zealand, and briefly elsewhere — its notes circulated far from any British printing house. Perkins, Bacon & Petch were the dominant security printers of the mid-Victorian period, responsible for early postage stamps across the empire as well as a significant share of colonial banknote production. Their steel-intaglio work was chosen precisely because colonial authorities and bank directors worried about counterfeiting in remote communities where verification was nearly impossible.
The decade-long date range reflects reissue across multiple colonial jurisdictions rather than a single print run. Branch-specific overprinting was common practice for this series.