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10 Rupees Bank of Bengal
| Issuer | Bank of Bengal |
|---|---|
| Year | 1857 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The central field carries the large denomination numeral '10' set within an elaborate guilloche and floral medallion, with 'RUPEES' inscribed in bold gothic letterpress across the centre. Serial numbers in Bengali script occupy the upper left and right cartouches, while the value rendered in Bengali characters appears in panels at the lower left and right, all printed in blue ink by intaglio engraving. The engraver's imprint 'Engraved by W.H. Lizars, Edinburgh' appears at the foot of the note. |
| Reverse lettering | RUPEES দশটাকা এরূডটলা |
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| Comments |
The Bank of Bengal was one of the three Presidency Banks and among the earliest joint-stock banks on the subcontinent. This note dates to 1857 — the year of the Sepoy Mutiny, which disrupted commerce severely across northern India and placed extraordinary pressure on the Presidency banking system. Whether any individual example from this issue passed through the chaos of that period is unknowable, but the timing is not incidental.
W.H. Lizars of Edinburgh was primarily known as an engraver and natural history illustrator — his firm's involvement in banknote production was a sideline by comparison with specialist security printers. The choice of an Edinburgh house over the dominant London firms is worth noting.