500 Dollars

The Chartered Bank of India, Australia & China operated under a Royal Charter granted in 1853, which gave it note-issuing rights across its network of Asian branches. By the time this high-denomination series was running, Hong Kong was the primary market for $500 notes — sums at this level moved between merchants and compradors, not retail counters. Waterlow & Sons produced fine commercial banknote work throughout this period, and the quality of intaglio printing on Chartered Bank issues from this era is consistently high.

Survivors are rare. Denominations this large were redeemed quickly or held briefly before re-deposit, meaning circulation wear is almost beside the point — most simply didn't survive the accounting cycle.