Lot 1509

Description

Great Britain, Bank of England, Henry Hase (1807-1829), Bank Note, one pound, London, 26 Jan 1819, No.17282, black on white, with vignette of 'the old lady of Threadneedle Street' top left and hand signed, on ornately scrolled ONE, BANK OF ENGLAND, watermarked paper, (Duggleby B201c). Many minor holes with paper weakness, some fading of ink and paper staining, otherwise, with good edges, fine and rare.

This example, found in Australia, is an unusual survivor from a period when many private notes were being utilised within the colony. Bank of England notes would have also seen circulation at this time but would in almost all cases, eventually been returned to England. W.C. Wentworth writing in 1819 stated 'that the paper of the Bank (of New South Wales) was then the principal circulating medium of the colony'. The Bank of New South Wales stock in February 5, 1819 contained no Bank of England notes (unless in the chest under Bank Notes and Tokens), however the bank note issues of this period by the Bank of New South Wales was on paper similar to the Bank of England paper, and had only a change in wording in the watermark from England to New South Wales. There are also some strong similarities to the note layout and the lettering style between the note issues of the two banks.