Collection PL

About

Mauritius’s story in paper money starts with private banking. The Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB), founded in 1838, supplied the island’s first widely recognized banknotes during its early British administration. Between 1839 and 1843 the bank issued a short series engraved in London by Myers Frs. & Co., showing the Port Louis harbor—sailing ships, warehouses, and a neoclassical façade—framing a trade economy linking Africa and Asia. Unusual for the period, the notes were dual-currency: values printed as Dollars on the face and their Pounds Sterling equivalents on the back, a practical bridge from regional silver to British bookkeeping.

Surviving examples fall into two groups. Issued notes are hand-numbered, signed, dated, and often stamped CANCELLED upon redemption—scarce today and usually well-worn. Remainders are unsigned archival stock retained by the bank or printer; these can appear in higher grade and help document design intent and paper. Later, government issues such as the ND (1940) series (Waterlow & Sons) formalized rupee currency for the colony. The selection below illustrates this arc—from private dual-currency banknotes to official state printings—without repeating card-level text. Use filters to pivot by year, type, or denomination.

4 results · Page 1 of 1
Mauritius 1839 Mauritius Commercial Bank 20 Dollars / 4 Pounds Sterling Issued & Cancelled

Mauritius 1839 — Mauritius Commercial Bank 20 Dollars / 4 Pounds Sterling Issued & Cancelled Note (Pick S125)

One of the earliest surviving issued notes of the Mauritius Commercial Bank—the oldest banking institution in the Indian Ocean—this 1839 Twenty Dollar / Four Pounds Sterling note is a foundational artifact of Mauritian monetary history. Issued only one year after the bank’s founding in 1838, it belongs to the first generation of fully functional colonial paper money used on the island. These early issues circulated at a time when coin shortages were severe, and private banknotes became the primary medium of exchange for merchants, plantation owners, and shipping houses. ... Read more →

MauritiusIssued & Cancelled Note183920 Dollars / 4 Pounds SterlingFine–Very Fine (Issued & Cancelled) Issued NoteCancelled20 Dollars4 PoundsColonial CurrencyDual-CurrencyMyers Frs & CoEngraved Security PrintingMauritius Commercial BankEarly Mauritius BankingColonial Banking HistoryPrivate Banknote EraPort Louis Harbor VignetteBritish Colonial Finance19th Century BanknotesRedemption and Cancellation NotesMauritiusPort Louis1839Museum GradeR8 Extremely Rare
Held
Mauritius 1842 Mauritius Commercial Bank 10 Dollars / 2 Pounds Sterling Issued & Cancelled

Mauritius 1842 — Mauritius Commercial Bank 10 Dollars / 2 Pounds Sterling Issued & Cancelled (Pick S122a)

A fully issued, hand-signed, and dated Mauritius Commercial Bank note — one of the earliest known examples of circulating paper money from the island. Dated 2 August 1842, this note bears manuscript signatures, serial numbers, and the characteristic oval CANCELLED stamps applied upon redemption. The engraving by Myers Frs. ... Read more →

MauritiusIssued & Cancelled Note184210 Dollars / 2 Pounds SterlingFine–Very Fine (Issued & Cancelled) Issued NoteCancelled10 Dollars2 PoundsDual-CurrencyColonial CurrencyMyers Frs & CoEngraved Security PrintingMauritius Commercial BankEarly Mauritius BankingColonial Banking HistoryPrivate Banknote EraPort Louis Harbor VignetteBritish Colonial Finance19th Century BanknotesRedemption and Cancellation NotesMauritiusPort Louis1842Museum GradeR6 Extremely Rare
Held
Mauritius 1843 Mauritius Commercial Bank 10 Dollars / 2 Pounds Sterling Remainder, PMG 50 NET

Mauritius 1843 — Mauritius Commercial Bank 10 Dollars / 2 Pounds Sterling Remainder (Pick S122r)

Unissued remainder from the earliest Mauritius Commercial Bank dual-currency series, printed by Myers Frs. & Co., London. This note represents the archival stock of the 1840s issue — printed but never signed or circulated. ... Read more →

MauritiusRemainder184310 Dollars / 2 Pounds SterlingPMG 50 NET (Ink Burn) Remainder10 Dollars2 PoundsDual-CurrencyColonial CurrencyMyers Frs & CoEngraved Security PrintingInk BurnMauritius Commercial BankEarly Mauritius BankingColonial Banking HistoryPrivate Banknote EraPort Louis Harbor VignetteBritish Colonial Finance1840s Currency Reform19th Century BanknotesMauritiusPort Louis1843PMG 50Museum GradeR6 Extremely Rare
Held
Mauritius ND (1940) Government of Mauritius 1 Rupee uncut pair remainder, Pick 26r1 (remainder of Pick 26), PMG 55 EPQ Top Pop with crisp green and rose print and punch cancels

Mauritius ND (1940) — Government of Mauritius 1 Rupee Uncut Pair Remainder (Pick 26r1)

Uncut vertical pair of Government of Mauritius 1 Rupee remainder notes on ND (1940) paper, cataloged as Pick 26r1 (remainder of the Pick 26 issue type). Two impressions aligned head-to-tail with circular punch cancels; printed in green and rose with the national coat of arms at left and a right-facing portrait at right. Remainders document the production stage between plate approval and issued stock. ... Read more →

MauritiusRemainder Proof19401 Rupee (Uncut Pair)PMG 55 EPQ About Uncirculated (Top Pop) MauritiusGovernment of MauritiusRemainderProofUncut PairTop Pop1 RupeePick 26r1Pick 261940ND
Held
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