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10 Pounds
| Issuer | Colonial Bank of Natal |
|---|---|
| Year | 1862 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Unilateral note printed in black on white paper, with the bank title 'Colonial Bank of Natal' in ornate script across the upper portion, flanked by the serial number and denomination '£10' at upper left and right respectively. The central text reads 'We Promise to pay the Bearer on Demand at our Office here Ten Pounds Sterling VALUE RECEIVED', with the place of issue 'Pietermaritzburg, Natal' and manuscript date below. A bold letterpress panel bearing 'Ten Pounds' occupies the lower left, while the lower right carries manuscript signatures above the legend 'For The Trustees'. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is entirely plain, printed on unadorned white cotton paper with no design, text, or ornamentation, consistent with early colonial-era South African banknote practice. |
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| Comments |
The Colonial Bank of Natal was a short-lived institution, established in 1860 and absorbed into the broader Cape-colonial banking consolidation within a few years. This 1862 issue is among the earliest examples of locally printed banknotes for the Natal territory — Saul Solomon & Co. was primarily a newspaper and job printer in Cape Town, not a specialist security printer, which raises legitimate questions about the sophistication of the anti-forgery measures employed.
At the ten-pound denomination, this would have circulated almost exclusively in commercial and mercantile transactions. Surviving examples are extremely rare.