Catalog
10 Shillings
| Issuer | Bank of New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Year | 1917 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | The upper register carries the bank title 'BANK OF NEW ZEALAND' in ornate gothic lettering, flanked by two intaglio vignettes: a Maori figure in traditional dress before a woven storehouse at left, and a coastal Pacific scene with sailing vessel and palm trees at right. The central text panel bears the promise-to-pay legend and denomination 'TEN SHILLINGS' in bold letterpress, supported by an elaborate guilloche underprint in blue and red tones. The date 'Wellington 1st day of October 1917' is inscribed in the lower portion of the note. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANK OF NEW ZEALAND INCORPORATED BY ACT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON DEMAND WE PROMISE TO PAY TO THE BEARER TEN SHILLINGS WELLINGTON 1ST DAY OF OCTOBER 1917 BANK OF NEW ZEALAND |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
The Bank of New Zealand's earliest fully documented private banknote series, the 1917 issues were printed by Bradbury Wilkinson during wartime — a period when transatlantic shipping risks made the delivery of printed currency genuinely hazardous. New Zealand's note-issuing landscape at the time was dominated by private trading banks, with no central bank until 1934, meaning the BNZ operated with considerable autonomous authority over its own paper.
Pick 1 is the lowest-numbered entry in the New Zealand catalogue for a reason: pre-1917 BNZ issues remain poorly documented or are unconfirmed as distinct types. Whether earlier printings existed in comparable form is still debated among specialists.