50 Dollars

The Chartered Bank of India, Australia & China was granted its royal charter in 1853 and operated as a note-issuing authority across British colonial territories well into the twentieth century. By 1919, its Hong Kong dollar notes were a fixture of commercial trade finance across the China coast and Straits Settlements. Waterlow & Sons produced the plates with the high security standards expected of major colonial currency work — the London firm held contracts for several colonial and dominion issuers simultaneously during this period.

Pick 43B is among the rarer high-denomination survivors from this issuer. Large-denomination notes of this type circulated primarily between merchants and banks rather than in retail trade, which means handling was limited but storage conditions were often poor — folding for safekeeping in ledgers or strongboxes is a common source of damage on surviving examples.