Catalog
500 Dollars Mauritius Commercial Bank
| Issuer | Mauritius Commercial Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1839 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Central oval vignette of a busy harbour scene with sailing vessels, a rowing boat in the foreground, and a classical colonnaded building along the quayside under an open sky. Denomination numerals '£500' appear in the upper left and upper right corners, with a further guilloche panel bearing '500' at the lower centre. The text 'FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS / ONE HUNDRED POUNDS STERLING' is inscribed in bold script across the centre of the note, with manuscript date and serial number completing the layout. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | MAURITIUS COMMERCIAL BANK PROMISE TO PAY THE BEARER ON DEMAND THE SUM OF FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS ONE HUNDRED POUNDS STERLING COLONIAL CURRENCY VALUE RECEIVED FOR THE MAURITIUS COMMERCIAL BANK |
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The Mauritius Commercial Bank, founded in 1838, was the island's first commercial bank — this 1839 note places it within the institution's first full year of operation. Private banknote issue by commercial banks in Mauritius was permitted under early British colonial banking ordinances, and the MCB held that privilege for decades before the government progressively tightened control over currency issuance.
P#S129 is catalogued in the Specialized volume, reflecting its status as a private commercial issue rather than a government or central bank obligation. Surviving examples from this period are exceptionally rare; paper currency in 19th-century Mauritius suffered badly from the tropical climate.