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100 Dollars
| Issuer | Chartered Mercantile Bank of India, London & China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1858 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 100 Dollars |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is printed in brown on white paper with an ornate engraved border. A central vignette depicts a classical allegorical female figure seated beside a palm tree, flanked by maritime and mercantile symbols, with a harbour scene in the background. The denomination '100' appears in oval panels at upper left and upper right, with the bank's full title in bold letterpress across the centre and a manuscript promise-to-pay text in script below, reading 'One Hundred Dollars, or the equivalent in the Currency of the Island. Value received,' followed by 'By Order of the Directors.' |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | HONG KONG BRANCH No HONG KONG THE CHARTERED MERCANTILE BANK OF INDIA, LONDON & CHINA Promises to pay the Bearer on demand at its Office here One Hundred Dollars, or the equivalent in the Currency of the Island. Value received. BY ORDER OF THE DIRECTORS. ENT. ACCOUNT MANAGER 100 |
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| Comments |
The Chartered Mercantile Bank of India, London and China received its royal charter in 1853 and was among the earliest exchange banks operating across the British eastern trade corridor — Bombay, Calcutta, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore. This 1858 dollar-denominated note would have facilitated the opium and textile trade that defined the bank's early business, with Hong Kong the almost certain place of issue given the denomination.
Surviving examples from this 1858 series are exceptionally rare. The bank restructured and rebranded multiple times before eventually merging into the Mercantile Bank of India in 1893, and early note stock was routinely destroyed or superseded. Pick S116 is among the earliest documented private bank issues for the Hong Kong dollar market.