Description and research notes
Photographic proof of a £5 Travellers Cheque for the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney, mounted on cardstock and dated '9/3/63' in pencil at the lower margin. Produced circa 1963 as part of the bank’s internal approval and recordkeeping process for its international traveller’s cheque program.
In the mid-20th century, before widespread credit card adoption, traveller’s cheques were the safest form of portable currency for customers abroad. Major Australian banks such as the CBC of Sydney maintained dedicated foreign exchange departments, issuing cheques that were accepted across the Commonwealth and internationally. These photographic proofs were produced by the bank’s security printer to document the approved layout, color balance, and security features before final lithographic printing.
The piece captures the final monochrome layout used for the £5 denomination, showing alignment marks, margins, and design placement in photographic negative format. It represents a form of Australian banking ephemera rarely preserved outside institutional archives, bridging the worlds of banknote design, printing technology, and the evolution of financial instruments for international travel.