Catalog
10 Pounds
| Issuer | Standard Bank of South Africa Limited, Salisbury |
|---|---|
| Year | 1896 |
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| Value | 10 Pounds |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Printed in olive-green on plain paper, the reverse is largely unadorned save for a central ornamental cartouche enclosing the monogram 'S.B.S.A.L.' in bold serif lettering within a surround of scrollwork and foliate engraving. The remainder of the surface is plain. Perforated cancellation punches reading 'SPECIMEN' and 'CANCELLED' appear in the lower portion of this example. |
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| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Comments |
The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited operated branches throughout southern Africa in the late nineteenth century, and its Rhodesian branches — including Salisbury — issued notes under their own authority rather than drawing on a centralized colonial currency. This 10 Pounds note from Salisbury predates any government-issued currency for the territory by years; Rhodesia had no central bank and no official paper money until well into the twentieth century, leaving the commercial banks to fill that role entirely.
High-denomination commercial bank notes of this period rarely circulated widely. Ten pounds was a substantial sum, and these moved primarily between merchants, mining companies, and land agents.