Catalog
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
| Issuer | Banco Nacional Ultramarino |
|---|---|
| Year | 1941 |
| Type | Specimen |
| 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 | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANCO NACIONAL ULTRAMARINO MOÇAMBIQUE COLONIA PORTUGUESA MIL ESCUDOS DECRETO Nº 17.154 LISBOA 1 DE NOVEMBRO DE 1941 O ADMINISTRADOR O PRESIDENTE DO CONSELHO ADMINISTRATIVO ANTONIO ENNES |
| Reverse description | Central intaglio vignette of a standing female figure in the foreground gazing toward a harbour scene with sailing ships and a steam vessel, rendered in brown on an orange and green guilloche surround. Denomination numerals 1000 appear at left and right within ornate lathe-work panels, and the printer's imprint BRADBURY, WILKINSON & Cº Lº GRAVADORES, LONDRES is inscribed at the lower margin. |
| 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 |
Banco Nacional Ultramarino occupied an unusual position in Portuguese colonial finance — it functioned simultaneously as a commercial bank and as the note-issuing authority across multiple overseas territories, a dual role that persisted well into the twentieth century. This 1941 issue for Portuguese India came at a moment when the Estado Novo regime was navigating careful neutrality as the Second World War disrupted global trade routes, including those connecting Lisbon to Goa.
Bradbury Wilkinson's involvement here is unsurprising — the New Malden firm held long-standing contracts with numerous colonial currency authorities across the British and Portuguese empires alike. The 1000 Escudo denomination was the highest face value in regular circulation for this series, which kept these notes largely in commercial and institutional hands rather than daily retail use.