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10 Rupien
| Issuer | Deutsch-Ostafrikanische Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1905 |
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| Reference(s) | P#2 |
| Obverse description | The upper portion carries the bold intaglio bank title 'DEUTSCH-OSTAFRIKANISCHE BANK' with serial numbers at left and right, above the denomination text 'ZEHN RUPIEN' and the issue date 'Daressalam, den 15. Juni 1905'. A detailed engraved vignette in the lower half presents a panoramic view of Dar es Salaam harbour, with steamships at anchor, smaller boats, and a tropical shoreline lined with palms and colonial buildings. Denomination numerals '10' appear in all four corners within ornate guilloche cartouches, and a counterfeit warning legend is printed at lower left. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is printed entirely in shades of brown, olive, and pink, composed of intricate engine-turned guilloche lacework covering the entire surface. Four large denomination numeral '10' panels occupy the corners within elaborate medallion frames, while a central horizontal band carries the issuer inscription 'DEUTSCH-OSTAFRIKANISCHE BANK' in bold serif lettering on a dark ground. The words 'RUPIEN' appear in curved banners above and below the central band, completing the symmetrical geometric design. |
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| Comments |
The Deutsch-Ostafrikanische Bank was established in 1905 specifically to provide a modern currency infrastructure for German East Africa, replacing the earlier rupien coinage that had circulated alongside Indian rupees in the coastal trade economy. This note is among the earliest paper issues for the territory. Giesecke & Devrient, already one of Europe's most technically accomplished security printers, handled the entire series from their Leipzig works.
The rupien denomination itself reflects the commercial reality of the Swahili coast, where Indian Ocean trade networks had entrenched the rupee as the dominant unit of account long before German colonial administration arrived.