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50 Pounds Wellington, Bank of Australasia
| Issuer | Bank of Australasia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1878 |
| Type | Pattern or trial banknote |
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| Obverse description | Central vignette at upper centre consists of two allegorical seated female figures, with a coat of arms vignette at upper left. The place-name WELLINGTON appears in two panels flanking the central design. The note carries a promise-to-pay text and denomination in words at lower centre, with the full bank title in letterpress across the top. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | THE BANK OF AUSTRALASIA INCORPORATED BY ROYAL CHARTER, 1835. WELLINGTON WELLINGTON WELLINGTON FIFTY PROMISE TO PAY THE BEARER ON DEMAND FIFTY POUNDS HERE OR AT WELLINGTON FOR THE BANK OF AUSTRALASIA FIFTY NEW ZEALAND |
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| Comments |
The Bank of Australasia was a London-chartered institution operating throughout the Australian colonies and New Zealand, and its Wellington branch notes were drawn on London — meaning this £50 was ultimately a claim against British capital, not a local reserve. Perkins, Bacon & Petch were the dominant security printers of the mid-Victorian period, responsible for a significant portion of the world's postage stamps and banknotes, their steel-engraving methods specifically chosen to defeat the era's increasingly sophisticated counterfeiters.
A £50 denomination in 1878 New Zealand represented a sum few individuals would handle in a year. These circulated almost exclusively between merchants, lawyers, and banks — meaning surviving examples typically show fold wear from ledger storage rather than hand-to-hand use.