10 Dollars

The Straits Settlements government notes of this period operated in parallel with the Chartered Bank and other commercial issuers — an unusual arrangement that persisted until the Board of Commissioners of Currency Straits Settlements took over in 1897, making this series among the earliest issues under that new authority. The $10 face value placed it firmly in mercantile rather than everyday use; Singapore and Penang trade houses were the primary handlers.

De La Rue's contract for Straits government notes was longstanding, and the plates were produced and printed entirely in London. Paper quality on surviving examples frequently shows foxing consistent with tropical storage — a known deterioration pattern across the series, not a defect specific to individual notes.