Collection

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.