Catalog
20 Crowns Colonial Bank of Mauritius Bourbon and Dependencies
| Issuer | Colonial Bank of Mauritius Bourbon and Dependencies |
|---|---|
| Year | 1810-1819 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Pound (1820-1877) |
| 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 | An intaglio vignette of Britannia seated is positioned within an ornate oval frame at upper left, accompanied by copperplate script text throughout the note body. The denomination appears twice in the upper field as "C 20 Currency" flanking the central promise-to-pay legend, with an additional letterpress "Twenty" panel at lower left; manuscript date and entry notations occupy the lower margin on both sides. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | THE GOVERNMENT AND THE COMPANY OF THE COLONIAL BANK OF MAURITIUS BOURBON & DEPENDENCIES PROMISE TO PAY TO OR BEARER ON DEMAND THE SUM OF TWENTY CROWNS AT THE CURRENCY OF TEN LIVRES EACH VALUE RECEIVED BY ORDER OF THE DIRECTORS C 20 CURRENCY TWENTY |
| 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 Colonial Bank of Mauritius Bourbon and Dependencies was itself a product of the British seizure of Île de France in 1810, when the island — previously a French colonial possession and notorious base for privateers raiding East India Company shipping — was captured and renamed Mauritius. The bank operated briefly during the transitional decade before Crown Colony banking arrangements were formalized, and its notes circulated across both Mauritius and the neighboring Île Bourbon (Réunion), which Britain held only until 1815 before returning it to France under the Paris peace settlement.
The reversion of Bourbon to French control mid-series almost certainly disrupted the note's geographic circulation and likely contributed to early retirement of surviving stock.