Private Notes of Outback Australia

Lot 2806    SESSION 9 - 4.30PM Wednesday 30 July    Private Notes of Outback Australia

Estimate $1,500
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $600

GEORGE WATSON, Rankine River, Northern Territory, five shillings, uniface currency note or general form, dated 14 June 1927, (192- printed), not numbered, no watermark, circular value tablets in two corners, imprint Watson, Ferguson & Co Ltd. Brisbane', stating on front 'Geo. Watson, General Storekeeper, Rankine River, Northern Territory, S.A. via Camooweal, IOU the Sum of Five Shillings Sterling', signed Geo Watson in pencil, all within ornate motiff border, yellow, red and black on white, (this note illustrated Vort Ronald..Shinplaster ..p.111). Small crease holes, some creases and folds, otherwise nearly very fine, excessively rare if not unique.

Ex Noble Numismatics Sale 79 (lot 2901), previously from the Walsgott Collection (lot 528) Spink Australia Sale 1 (lot 262 part) and Sale 5 (lot 225) and Dr. Alan Nicholson Collection, Sale 49 (lot 1657), lot includes photo of store of this period. The issuer is noted by Vort-Ronald (p.23). Notes were still being issued in 1927 in outback areas. It, as usual, is an issue by the local storekeeper but at Rankine River via Camooweal where James Kennedy lived in the 1890s. Kennedy was an hotel and storekeeper who issued notes payable at the Queensland National Bank, Burketown. This note reflects a socio-cultural period, the style of lettering, the decorative motifs along the border of the note all mirror the contemporary pre-occupation with the Art Deco style, which grew out of the Art Noveau movement. The same printer of the Espie notes of the 1918-9 era printed these notes showing a sharp contrast in change of style.