Catalog
10 Dollars Mauritius Commercial Bank
| Issuer | Mauritius Commercial Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1838 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Vignette at upper left of a tall-masted sailing ship at anchor alongside barrels and bales of cargo, evoking the maritime trade of Port Louis harbour. The note is set within a decorative typographic border, with the bank title in ornate script at top centre, date and serial number in manuscript, and the promise-to-pay text in letterpress script below. A large numeral '10' appears at lower centre, flanked by manuscript signatures of the Directors and Cashier. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | MAURITIUS COMMERCIAL BANK TEN I PROMISE TO PAY THE BEARER ON DEMAND THE SUM OF TEN DOLLARS COLONIAL CURRENCY VALUE RECEIVED FOR THE MAURITIUS COMMERCIAL BANK |
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| Comments |
The Mauritius Commercial Bank, founded in 1838, was the island's first commercial bank — this note dates to its earliest years of operation, making it among the oldest surviving paper currency from the British Indian Ocean colonies. Private bank issues from Mauritius of this period are extraordinarily rare; most were redeemed, cancelled, or simply destroyed as the colonial banking system consolidated through the mid-nineteenth century.
The Pick S121 designation places it in the specialized commercial bank series, distinct from government-issued colonial currency. Survivors in any condition are seldom seen at auction.