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20 000 Réis
| Issuer | Banco Nacional Ultramarino |
|---|---|
| Year | 1909 |
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| Reference(s) | P#36 |
| Obverse description | Central vignette of the embarkation of Vasco da Gama in 1497, rendered in intaglio, with a portrait of the explorer Vasco da Gama (c. 1460–1524) — the first European to reach India by sea — positioned above or alongside the scene. The design is framed by intricate guilloche borders typical of Bradbury Wilkinson's engraving work of the period. Bank name and denomination inscriptions appear within the note's text panel. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANCO NACIONAL ULTRAMARINO O THESOUREIRO DA FILIAL EM LOANDA PAGARÁ Á VISTA AO PORTADOR VINTE MIL REIS EM MOEDA CORRENTE VALOR RECEBIDO (Translation: National Overseas Bank, The Branch Treasurer in Luanda, Will pay the holder on sight twenty thousand réis in current currency) |
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| Comments |
The Banco Nacional Ultramarino, established in Lisbon in 1864 with a mandate to serve Portugal's overseas territories, issued this note for Angola — one of several colonial dependencies where BNU held the exclusive right of issue. By 1909, the 20,000 Réis was a substantial denomination, worth roughly a full month's wages for a colonial administrator of modest rank.
Bradbury Wilkinson's involvement is significant. The firm had by this period established itself as a preferred printer for colonial currency work across multiple empires, and their intaglio engraving quality was consistently superior to what Lisbon-based printing could achieve at the time. The Angola BNU series of this era is notable for relatively low print runs, and attrition in tropical circulation conditions was severe — humidity, insects, and informal storage destroyed enormous quantities.