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1 Pound
| Issuer | Douglas & Isle of Man Bank / Henry John & James Holmes |
|---|---|
| Year | 1844 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Pound |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Douglas & Isle of Man Bank We Promise to pay the Bearer on Demand ONE POUND British in BANK Notes or Bills on LONDON Douglas For H. Holmes Jun. In. Holmes & Ja. Holmes One Pound |
| Reverse description | The reverse is worked in intaglio and carries four elaborately engraved guilloche rosette medallions at each corner, each centred on an oval lathe-work cartouche. A large circular bank seal dominates the centre, bearing the triskelion arms of the Isle of Man within the legend 'Douglas Isle of Man, Henry John & James Holmes' in Gothic lettering, above which a finely engraved vignette of a three-masted sailing vessel at sea is placed. A small ornamental floral arabesque appears below the central seal. |
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| Comments |
The Douglas & Isle of Man Bank was a short-lived private institution, and the Holmes family partnership that co-issued this note operated in an era when Manx banking was notoriously unstable — several local banks collapsed in the 1820s and 1830s, taking depositors with them. By 1844 the regulatory situation on the island remained loose enough that private individuals could still put their names directly on circulating paper, which is precisely what Henry John and James Holmes did.
Notes of this type were printed locally rather than contracted to the established London or Edinburgh security printers, which accounts for the relatively modest production quality seen across the series. Surviving examples are rare; the bank did not have a long operational life after this date.