Lot 1656

Description

George Espie, Merchant, Charleville, Queensland overstamped for Angus Bros, Quilpie, one pound, currency note, dated Jan 24 1919, (hand written), numbered No. 1966, signed Angus Bros, Per R.J. Angus, watermarked paper but uncertain wording, value as Ã…â€Å‣1 in circles in corners, imprint of 'Watson, Ferguson & Co Ltd Brisbane', on front above, Australian arms with surround of 'George Espie Merchant', below 'The Queensland National Bank Limited, Charleville, Please pay the Bearer on Demand the sum of One Pound Sterling', within rectangular border, with details of Espie business activities on side and 'ONE POUND' above and below, in circles on each side near top 'ONE', in background in large letters in two lines across 'GEORGE ESPIE CHARLEVILLE', with purple overstamp of 'ANGUS BROS QUILPIE', and purple oval bank rubber stamp with date 11 Feb 1919, green and black on white. Extremely fine and rare.

The notes of this lot and the previous lot show a difference of 372 notes in a period of less than ten months. This indicates a high level of note issue and circulation. It is not clear whether the Angus Brothers had bought or at least taken over the George Espie business, or whether they had bought or borrowed spare Espie notes and saved the expense of new notes being printed. Perhaps Quilpie had a shortage of notes like Espie the previous year and he utilised that issue of Espie's unused notes. The fact that many of the Tradesmens Notes were printed on very thin paper which was very susceptible to water damage may explain the use of the term 'shin-plasters' which were given to some of these notes by early writers, as not all that uncommonly it is reported that what had been two or three such notes put for safekeeping into a pocket or sometimes kept inside a sock which was being worn, would emerge from its 'safe place' as a sodden mass which most commonly was no longer of any value. The companion note No. 1967 was sold in Spink Noble sale 36 (lot 2726).