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10 Pounds
| Issuer | Union Bank of Scotland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1867-1879 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Engraved in dark green and black intaglio within a fine guilloche border, the obverse carries a central allegorical vignette at the top comprising two classical female figures flanking a heraldic shield, with the denomination TEN repeated in the upper corners and equestrian statue vignettes at the lower left and right. The issuer's title THE UNION BANK OF SCOTLAND appears in bold lettering above a cursive promise-to-pay text referencing the head offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh, with TEN POUNDS in large display type at centre. The note is designated SPECIMEN, with manuscript-style fields for number, cashier, and accountant signatures below the main text. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | INCORPORATED BY ACT OF PARLIAMENT TEN THE UNION BANK OF SCOTLAND Promise to pay to the Bearer on demand at the or head offices in Glasgow or Edinburgh TEN POUNDS. By order of the Directors. No A p CASHIER. p Accot. SPECIMEN |
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| Comments |
The Union Bank of Scotland was absorbed into the Bank of Scotland in 1955 after a merger that ended over a century of independent operation — but notes from this 1867–1879 series predate even the major consolidations of the 1870s Scottish banking crisis, which followed the catastrophic collapse of the City of Glasgow Bank in 1878. That failure sent shockwaves through every Scottish private bank and triggered urgent reviews of note-issuing practices across the country.
Scottish banks retained their right of private note issue under arrangements dating to the 1845 Bank Notes (Scotland) Act, which capped circulation at each bank's established average. A 10 Pound denomination would have moved almost exclusively between merchants and solicitors — rarely if ever handled by ordinary wage earners.