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50 Centavos
| Issuer | Banco Nacional Ultramarino |
|---|---|
| Year | 1914 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is printed in brown tones and centres on a circular guilloche vignette at left bearing the denomination "50 CENTAVOS" in large numerals, flanked by elaborate lathe-work panels. A circular blue seal of the Banco Nacional Ultramarino, Lisboa, with a sailing ship vignette, is applied at centre-bottom. The overprint "PAGAVEL NA FILIAL DE LOANDA" appears in red at right, with the date "Lisboa, 5 de Novembro de 1914" and two manuscript signature lines at the foot, beneath the titles "O VICE-GOVERNADOR" and "O GOVERNADOR". |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | BANCO NACIONAL ULTRAMARINO 0$50 (Translation: National Overseas Bank, 0$50) BRADBURY WILKINSON & C.º GRAVADORES, LONDRES |
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| Comments |
Banco Nacional Ultramarino's 1914 fractional issues were emergency stopgap notes, rushed into service when the outbreak of the First World War caused an immediate hoarding crisis across Portuguese colonial territories. Small-denomination coin, especially silver, vanished from circulation almost overnight as the public converted metal to savings. These centavo notes filled the gap directly.
Bradbury Wilkinson handled the printing, as they did for a significant share of BNU's output during this period. The London firm's engraved work is generally reliable, though the fractional notes from this wartime run were produced under pressure and with shorter lead times than the bank's larger denominations.