5 Pounds Bank of New South Wales

The Bank of New South Wales was the oldest trading bank in Australia, established in 1817, and its private banknotes circulated as a practical necessity long before the Commonwealth of Australia had any central issuing authority. The Commonwealth Bank gained note-issuing powers in 1911, but private bank circulation wasn't finally extinguished until 1910 legislation — and even then, a transitional period allowed existing stocks to remain in use, which accounts for the broad 1890–1921 date range assigned to this series.

Charles Skipper & East handled a substantial portion of Australasian private bank printing through this period. The long print run and wide circulation window means condition varies sharply across surviving examples.