Catalog
10 Shillings - Zakynthos / Zante
| Issuer | Ionian Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1840 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | At upper centre, the bank arms flanked by two supporters and surmounted by flags, within an ornate vignette. Two oval panels at left and right bear the denomination in Greek (ΔΕΚΑ ΣΕΛΙΝΙΑ) and English (TEN SHILLINGS) respectively. Bilingual text in Greek and English fills the body of the note, with the branch name ZAKYNTHOS / ZANTE printed vertically along both side margins and IONIAN BANK / ΙΟΝΙΚΗ ΤΡΑΠΕΖΑ in letterpress at top and bottom. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | IONIAN BANK ΙΟΝΙΚΗ ΤΡΑΠΕΖΑ ΔΕΚΑ ΣΕΛΙΝΙΑ TEN SHILLINGS ΖΑΚΥΝΘΟΣ ZANTE Promise to pay the Bearer on demand here TEN SHILLINGS or the Equivalent in Legal Ionian Currency. For the Ionian Bank. SPECIMEN |
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| Comments |
The Ionian Bank was a British-chartered institution incorporated in London in 1839, established specifically to serve the Ionian Islands while they remained a British Protectorate. It held a note-issuing monopoly throughout the islands and operated under Crown oversight — an unusual arrangement that made it simultaneously a commercial bank and an instrument of colonial monetary administration. The 1840 date places this among the earliest issues from the bank's first year of active operation.
Zakynthos branch notes were issued and payable locally, distinct from the Corfu head office issues. Branch-specific Ionian Bank notes are considerably scarcer than the main series; the island's smaller commercial economy meant lower print runs and harder circulation.