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2 Avos Banco Nacional Ultramarino
| Issuer | Banco Nacional Ultramarino |
|---|---|
| Year | 1952 |
| Type | Pattern or trial banknote |
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| Obverse description | Violet and green note with a central guilloche underprint framing the Portuguese royal arms vignette at centre; the denomination numeral '2' appears at upper left and is repeated within a cartouche at upper right. The issuer name arcs across the top border above 'MACAU' and 'DOIS AVOS' in bold letterpress, with signature lines for O ADMINISTRADOR and O GOVERNADOR at lower left and lower right respectively, and a diagonal red SPECIMEN overprint across the entire face. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Printed in violet, the reverse is centred on a circular vignette of a sailing vessel at sea, encircled by the inscriptions BANCO NACIONAL ULTRAMARINO and COLONIAS. COMMERCIO. AGRICULTURA. Symmetrical guilloche panels flank the central medallion, with the numeral '2' at left and Chinese characters at right, while the issuer name and 'MACAU' are repeated across the top, and a diagonal red SPECIMEN overprint is applied across the entire face. |
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| Comments |
The Banco Nacional Ultramarino was the designated note-issuing authority for most Portuguese overseas territories, and this 2 Avos piece belongs to the Macau series it administered through the mid-twentieth century. The avo denominations — fractional units of the pataca — were practical necessities in a port economy where small transactions dominated daily commerce, but at this size the notes often suffered accelerated wear and were rarely retained by collectors at issue.
Bradbury Wilkinson handled Portuguese colonial currency work across multiple territories during this period, a relationship that gave the BNU series a consistency of production quality unusual for such low-denomination pieces.