Catalog
2 1/2 Gulden Silver voucher
| Issuer | Surinaamsche Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1920 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Brown on cream paper, printed in letterpress with an intricate guilloche underprint covering the entire face. The word "ZILVERBON" appears in large bold letters across the upper centre, flanked by the series letter and serial number in red-brown, with the denomination numeral "2.50" rendered in large figures at centre. The full text of the legal tender clause, registration date of 2 February 1920, and two manuscript signatures occupy the lower half, all within a continuous decorative border of fine geometric ornament. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | SURINAME SILVERBON GROOT TWEE EN EEN HALVE GULDEN Wordt ter betaling aangenomen door de Surinaamsche Bank en aan alle landskassen. Inwisselbaar in zilver na aankondiging. Geregistreerd, 2 Februari 1920. WETTIG BETAALMIDDEL (Translation: Suriname - Silver Voucher Big Two and a Half Gulden Is accepted for payment by the Surinaamsche Bank and to all national treasuries. Redeemable in silver upon announcement. Registered, February 2, 1920. Legal Tender) |
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| Comments |
The designation "silver voucher" (zilvergulden bon) was not decorative language — these notes were formally backed by silver reserves held on behalf of the Dutch colonial administration, a distinct arrangement from the bank's ordinary fiduciary circulation. Surinaamsche Bank occupied an unusual dual role as both commercial and quasi-central bank in the colony, and the silver bon series was one mechanism used to manage the chronic shortage of hard coin in Paramaribo.
Enschedé's involvement guaranteed quality engraving; the Haarlem firm had printed Dutch colonial currency for generations by 1920.