Lot 3256

Description

Bank of Australasia, Beechworth, five pounds, dated 3rd Oct. 1864, (date fully printed), not numbered, proof, unsigned, in margin in pencil, '23rd May 1864, in place of plate altered', on paper, no watermark, imprint of 'Perkins Bacon & Co. London Patented Hardened Steel Plate', vignette on left of bank arms, in centre female figures portraying Commerce and Prosperity with a farming and mining scene, and ornamental oval tablet with FIVE on upper right and 'Five Pounds' in rectangular tablet lower left, all within rectangular ornate spiral border, states below, 'Promise to pay the Bearer on Demand Five Pounds here or at Melbourne. For the Bank of Australasia', black on white, (Vort-Ronald, Type two (a), comments on bank and type p.57-63, similar issued note illustrated Fig. 58 [p.60] but £1, five examples similar [one of exact date], and this town in the Spink Perkins Bacon Archive sale lots 213-6). Corners missing, light stains in margins, otherwise extremely fine and rare.

Beechworth, important for gold discoveries, was not to become an important note issuing town. The use of place names not normally associated as issuing places was pobably meant to discourage the passing of proof notes as genuine notes in commerce. The Spink Perkins Bacon Archive sale has produced a number of notes of this bank with a large number from this issuing town.