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10 Pounds - Victoria Union Bank of Australia
| Issuer | Union Bank of Australia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1852-1860 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 10 Pounds |
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| Obverse description | Upper left bears a crowned bust of Queen Victoria facing right, contained within an oval vignette. The central composition presents a seated Britannia with spear and shield, a lion at her side and a sailing vessel rendered in the background, while the arms of the Union Bank of Australia appear at lower right. The obligation text and issuing authority are inscribed in letterpress across the face of the note. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | UNION BANK OF AUSTRALIA WELLINGTON NEW ZEALAND WELLINGTON NEW ZEALAND WE PROMISE TO PAY THE BEARER HERE IN DEMAND TEN POUNDS STG. WELLINGTON FOR THE DIRECTORS & COMPANY |
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| Comments |
The Union Bank of Australia was chartered in London in 1837 and operated across the Australian colonies throughout the gold rush decades — which explains why a £10 denomination made practical sense. By the early 1850s, alluvial gold was moving through colonial commerce in quantities that made high-value notes genuinely useful instruments rather than banker's curiosities.
Perkins, Bacon & Petch were the dominant security printers of the period, known for their siderographic transfer process, which allowed complex intaglio designs to be replicated with exceptional consistency across large print runs. The same firm printed postage stamps for dozens of territories simultaneously.
Colonial banking notes of this period frequently circulated alongside gold dust and coin rather than replacing them.