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20 Pounds
| Issuer | English, Scottish & Australian Chartered Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | ND (1910) |
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| Currency | Pound (1825-1966) |
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| Obverse description | Issued in an ornate copperplate script style, the note bears the bank title "English, Scottish & Australian Chartered Bank" across the top with "SOUTH AUSTRALIA" in vertical lettering on both lateral margins. A central royal charter vignette with the initials "E.S.A.B." under a crown anchors the promise-to-pay text, with "TWENTY" in large letterpress at lower left and denomination numerals "£20" at upper corners. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | English, Scottish & Australian Chartered Bank Promise to pay the Bearer on Demand the Sum of TWENTY POUNDS here Value rec. Adelaide the day of 18 For the English, Scottish & Australian Chartered Bank Twenty SOUTH AUSTRALIA Ent. Acct. Manager. |
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| Comments |
The English, Scottish & Australian Chartered Bank was formed in 1852 and operated branches across the Australian colonies, eventually becoming one of the more substantial private note-issuing banks on the continent. By 1910, the era of private bank note issue in Australia was effectively closing — the Commonwealth Bank Act of 1911 would soon shift the monetary architecture, and the ES&A's own note-issuing privileges were winding down under increasing federal pressure.
High-denomination private issues like this £20 were never retail currency. They moved between businesses, pastoral stations, and clearing accounts — rarely passing through ordinary hands, which is precisely why surviving examples at any grade are uncommon.