Catalog
50 Pounds
| Issuer | Bank of Adelaide |
|---|---|
| Year | ND (1910) |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Central intaglio vignette of a seated allegorical female figure with two cherubs, framed by ornate guilloche work. Bank title in bold letterpress across the top, with the denomination '50' in guilloche medallions at upper corners. Red overprint reads 'FIFTY POUNDS' across the mid-section, with manuscript-style promise text and 'ADELAIDE' placename beneath. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | THE BANK OF ADELAIDE FIFTY POUNDS Promise to pay the Bearer on Demand the Sum of Fifty Pounds value received ADELAIDE For the Bank of Adelaide Manager SPECIMEN |
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| Comments |
The Bank of Adelaide was a modest South Australian institution that never achieved the national reach of the larger trading banks, and its high-denomination notes were issued in strictly limited quantities — primarily for interbank transfers and commercial settlements rather than retail circulation. A 50-pound note in everyday hands would have been extraordinary; this was serious commercial paper.
The bank was absorbed by the Union Bank of Australia in 1910, which makes this issue a terminal one. Notes outstanding at the time of amalgamation were either redeemed or cancelled, and very few survived outside bank records.