10 Pounds

The Durban Bank was a short-lived commercial institution operating in Natal during the colony's early banking period, before consolidated legislation brought stricter controls over note issuance. Very few private colonial South African notes from this period survive at all — most were redeemed, destroyed, or lost in the practical chaos of mid-nineteenth century frontier commerce.

Nissen & Parker were a London security printing firm active during this period, responsible for a range of colonial and commercial bank issues. Their involvement here confirms the note was engraved and printed in England, shipped to Natal, and then placed into local circulation — a logistical arrangement entirely normal for colonial issuers who lacked domestic printing infrastructure.

Ten pounds was a substantial sum in 1862 Natal.