10 Pounds Bank of New South Wales

The Bank of New South Wales — founded in 1817 and the oldest trading bank in Australia — relied on Perkins, Bacon throughout much of the nineteenth century for its private banknote production. The firm's steel intaglio process was specifically chosen because its fine-line engraving was notoriously difficult to counterfeit, a real concern in colonial New South Wales where official oversight of private bank issuance was inconsistent at best.

The twenty-year date span reflects the long uninterrupted run of this series rather than any reissue or design change. High-denomination private banknotes of this period rarely circulated hand-to-hand — £10 represented roughly two months' wages for a laborer — and survivors typically show light wear or none at all.