Description and research notes
Large-value 1910 commercial draft issued by Riches & Mawas, a multinational British–Levantine trading house active in Cairo, Alexandria, and Tanta. Printed by B. Arnaud (Lyon–Paris–Le Caire), the document features a deep-blue engraved border, a baroque "R&M" monogram, and bilingual French–Arabic monetary text. The draft orders payment of 1600 piastres—an exceptionally high face amount for commercial paper of this era.
The manuscript entries are clear and complete, with red fiscal endorsements and a bold circular seal validating its acceptance. The engraving quality and layout match the firm’s pre-war commercial stationery used throughout its network of Mediterranean clients.
High-denomination drafts from this firm are rarely seen, as most were redeemed, cancelled, or destroyed in later administrative cycles. This example remains fully intact, without reductions or stamp cuts, and is among the finest surviving financial documents from Egypt’s early 20th-century mercantile economy. It represents a significant artifact of cross-city trade linking Cairo, Alexandria, and the Delta region before World War I.