Lot 1578

Description

The National Bank of Australasia, five pounds, issued at Adelaide, Nov. 1, 1872, (186- printed), No. 12922, hand signed by Manager R.G. Wilkinson and entered by Jno Forrest, printed on uncertain possibly watermarked paper, with imprint on base frame, 'Perkins Bacon & Co, London, Patent Hardened Steel Plate', with vignettes of female with shield in oval top left tablet, and top right oval tablet with 5, with centre block in green FIVE over five circles, green and brown on white, (Vort-Ronald, p.175-183 on bank, type two, cf. Fig.184 as one pound). Folds and creases, five small pin-holes, with heavy smoke tone, otherwise nearly fine, extremely rare and the earliest of the three known specimens.

This issue of The National Bank of Australasia (1858-1982, merging to form the NAB in 1982), is of much interest, particularly as it is the earliest known five pound note of this bank. Another type two is known and reported by Vort Ronald (p.180). Three five pound notes of 1872 were found in the 1956 'cash box in chimney' hoard at Gawler and this is one of them.