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10 Pounds
| Issuer | Commonwealth of Australia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1913-1918 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 170 × 105 mm |
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| Obverse description | The face is dominated by elaborate guilloche underprint with the denomination numeral '10' repeated in each corner against a fine lathe-work background. The central text panel carries the promise to pay inscription in a mixture of script and letterpress, with 'TEN POUNDS' set within a framed panel. A royal crown vignette appears at the top centre flanking the serial number, while the Commonwealth coat of arms is engraved at the lower centre beneath the two manuscript signature lines. |
|---|---|
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| Signature(s) | Collins & Allen Cerutty & Collins |
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| Comments |
Australia's first federally issued banknotes — including this 10 Pound — replaced the notes of individual trading banks following the Australian Notes Act of 1910, which also prohibited private banks from issuing their own currency. The Commonwealth Bank didn't actually open until late 1911, meaning the Treasury itself handled note issuance in the interim. Collins and Allen were the first signature combination used on the series; Cerutty and Collins followed when James Cerutty succeeded Allen as Secretary to the Treasury.
The 10 Pound was the highest denomination in the inaugural Commonwealth series, and surviving examples with either signature pairing are genuinely scarce — the face value alone discouraged circulation and encouraged hoarding or redemption rather than everyday use.