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5 Pounds Asiatic Banking Corporation
| Issuer | Asiatic Banking Corporation |
|---|---|
| Year | 1865 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 Pounds |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
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| 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 | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Blank. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Curved ASIATIC above curved BANKING CORPORATION. |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
The Asiatic Banking Corporation was incorporated in London in 1863 with ambitions across India, China, and the Straits Settlements. It lasted barely a decade — the bank collapsed in 1866 during the catastrophic London credit crisis that also brought down Overend, Gurney & Co., leaving noteholders and depositors badly exposed across multiple Asian markets simultaneously.
Smith, Elder & Co. was primarily a publishing house — the firm that brought out Thackeray and Charlotte Brontë — which also ran a small banknote and commercial printing operation during this period. An unusual provenance for a colonial banking instrument.