Lot 3019

Description

The Union Bank of Australia Limited, Melbourne, five pounds, proof on card, not dated (18 date printed), various ink marks mostly in the relevant places removed by inking over, not numbered, imprint of 'Thos. Ham Engraver Melbourne' (Vort-Ronald, Type two?, further comments p.223-8). Side panel section and small internal area added to note for completeness, some card toning and stains, otherwise nearly very fine and excessively rare if not unique.

Ex. Walsgott Collection sale (lot 475) where misdescribed for one pound. $$ Although there were many proofs of this bank in the Spink Perkin Bacon Archive Sale there are no known examples from Thomas Ham of Melbourne. Vort-Ronald does not even mention Ham in his discussions on printers of this bank. Thomas Ham is well known for his contemporary engravings especially of scenes on the Victorian Goldfields. He is known to have produced at least two proofs (and maybe issued notes) for the Bank of New South Wales in Victoria. Both these proofs were printed in the 1850's for use on the newly discovered goldfields. It is known that a large shipment of notes from Perkins Bacon was received by the Bank of New South Wales in Melbourne in January 1854, so the arrival of these notes may have aborted the issue of notes to be printed by Thomas Ham. Perhaps the Union Bank proof described above had a similar origin and like the Bank of New South Wales was prepared for use but never needed to be released. It is known that supplies of notes were received from other branches in Australia and perhaps these proved sufficient by overprinting them for use in a different domicile from that originally printed on the note. This proof note is most important.