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5 Kolonata Ionian Bank
| Issuer | Ionian Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1844-1874 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | The bank's circular arms vignette, flanked by flags and laurel branches, occupies the upper centre, with an oval guilloche counter bearing the denomination numeral '5' at upper left and an oval cartouche inscribed 'ΠΕΝΤΕ' at upper right. The header reads 'ΙΟΝΙΚΗ ΤΡΑΠΕΖΑ' in bold letterpress across the top, with the promise-to-pay text in Greek script occupying the central field, and a rectangular panel inscribed 'ΚΟΛΟΝΑΤΑ ΠΕΝΤΕ' with the branch designation 'ΖΑΚΥΝΘΟΣ' in a framed cartouche at the foot. Two manuscript signature lines appear at lower centre, identified by the printed legends 'Λογιστής' and 'Διευθυντής'. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in blue and carries a large central guilloche composed of multiple overlapping oval lozenges arranged in a cruciform pattern, with the legend 'IONIAN BANK' set within the central horizontal band of the design. A smaller circular stamp impression appears at upper right. The overall layout is typographer's lathe-work without figurative vignettes, relying entirely on the interlocking oval guilloche underprint for security. |
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| Comments |
The Ionian Bank was chartered in London in 1839 specifically to serve the Ionian Islands, then a British protectorate under the nominal suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire. It held a monopoly on note issue for the islands — a concession that survived even the 1864 union of the Ionian Islands with Greece, at which point the bank continued operating under its British charter while technically now issuing currency on Greek sovereign territory.
Perkins, Bacon & Petch were the dominant choice for colonial and semi-colonial currency work in this period, their intaglio work and machine-engraved guilloche patterns being considered essentially impossible to replicate without access to their proprietary ruling engines. The long date range for this series reflects the bank's protracted monopoly rather than any single print run.