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10 Rupees
| Issuer | Currency Commissioners of Mauritius |
|---|---|
| Year | 1848-1849 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | The note is headed 'CURRENCY COMMISSIONERS OF MAURITIUS' across the top, with the denomination 'TEN' repeated at upper left and right flanking a central circular vignette bearing the arms of Mauritius. Serial number appears twice at centre, with 'Port Louis' and a manuscript date below. A handwritten promise-to-pay text occupies the central panel, reading 'We promise to pay the Bearer on demand in Silver Coin the value of TEN RUPEES of the East India Company's rate of Currency, value received.' The lower portion carries the imprint 'FOR THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE MAURITIUS CURRENCY' above a letterpress panel with 'TEN RUPEES' at left and the numeral '10' at right, with a manuscript signature and the title 'Manager' at lower right. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | CURRENCY COMMISSIONERS OF MAURITIUS TEN TEN RUPEES FOR THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE MAURITIUS CURRENCY Manager |
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| Comments |
The Currency Commissioners of Mauritius were a colonial administrative body, not a conventional central bank, and their notes from this period occupy an awkward transitional moment — the island was shifting away from a chaotic multi-currency environment where Spanish dollars, Indian rupees, and French colonial currency had all circulated interchangeably for decades. The 1848–49 issue was part of a deliberate effort to impose sterling-based order on that mess.
Survivors are exceptionally rare. Colonial paper from Mauritius at this date suffered badly from the tropical climate, and redemption rates after subsequent currency reforms were high.