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25 Dollars
| Issuer | Chartered Mercantile Bank of India, London & China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1858 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | The note bears a central allegorical vignette of a seated female figure, likely Britannia or Commerce, accompanied by a palm tree and maritime elements suggestive of trade; denomination panels reading "$25" appear at upper left and right within ornate frames. The upper border carries the inscription "HONG KONG BRANCH" with a decorative guilloche surround, while a bold red overprint reading "TWENTY FIVE" runs diagonally across the body of the note. The text below the vignette states the promise to pay the bearer on demand, followed by signature lines for the Accountant and Manager, issued by order of the Directors. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | HONG KONG BRANCH $25. No HONG KONG, THE CHARTERED MERCANTILE BANK OF INDIA, LONDON & CHINA Promises to pay the Bearer on demand at its Office here TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS of the equivalent in the Currency of the Island. Value received. By order of the Directors. ENT. ACCOUNT. MANAGER |
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| Comments |
The Chartered Mercantile Bank of India, London and China received its royal charter in 1853, making this 1858 note among the earliest issues in the bank's operational history. It was one of several British-chartered exchange banks competing aggressively in the China trade at a moment when Hong Kong's commercial infrastructure was still thin and treaty port banking was largely improvised. The $25 denomination is unusual — most colonial exchange banks in this region leaned heavily on $1, $5, $10, and $100 denominations, and the mid-tier $25 suggests either specific merchant demand or an attempt to compete with Spanish and Mexican dollars then dominating the region's actual commerce.
The Chartered Mercantile was eventually absorbed into the Mercantile Bank of India in 1893.