Catalog
| Issuer | British Guiana Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1902 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Printed entirely in black ink on cream paper, the note carries the bank title 'British Guiana Bank' in ornate script across the top, flanked by '$5.' denomination indicators at each upper corner. An engraved vignette at the upper left depicts a seated allegorical female figure within a decorative cartouche. The promise-to-pay clause appears in script above the denomination 'FIVE DOLLARS' in bold letterpress, with serial numbers to either side; below, a large Gothic-style 'Five' underprint sits alongside the authorisation text 'For the Corporation of the British Guiana Bank', with manuscript signatures for Manager and Director and an Entered/Accountant notation at the foot. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse of this note is not documented in the available record. |
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| Comments |
The British Guiana Bank was a short-lived institution — it collapsed in 1904, just two years after this note was issued, following a period of financial mismanagement that left depositors holding worthless paper. Notes from the final years of its operation, including this 1902 issue, were effectively rendered void when the bank failed before full redemption could be organized.
Surviving examples are scarce precisely because so few were returned through normal banking channels.