Catalog
15 Dollars Colonial Bank
| Issuer | Colonial Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1836 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Black letterpress print on plain paper. The British Royal coat of arms with supporters and crown occupies the central vignette, flanked by the denomination value at upper left and right and lower left. A promissory text block in the centre bears the branch designation and issuing authority of the Colonial Bank. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | COLONIAL BANK ISSUED AT ST. CROIX BRANCH We Promise to pay the Bearer on Demand the Sum of FIFTEEN DOLLARS By the order of the court of Directors of the Colonial Bank ST. THOMAS $ FIFTEEN ST. THOMAS |
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| Comments |
The Colonial Bank was chartered by act of Parliament in 1836 specifically to operate across British Caribbean territories — Barbados, Trinidad, British Guiana, and others — at a moment when the abolition of slavery had just reshaped the regional labor economy and the demand for reliable commercial credit was acute. This note dates to the bank's founding year, making it among the earliest issues of the series.
Perkins, Bacon & Petch's steel-engraved work from this period is among the most technically accomplished banknote printing of the nineteenth century, and their anti-counterfeiting geometrics were considered state of the art. The $15 denomination is an unusual unit — likely reflecting a specific exchange relationship with local currency conventions rather than any standard banking practice.