Description and research notes
Group of multicolor cheques issued by The Anglo-Egyptian Bank Ltd., Alexandria branch, spanning the years 1922 to 1927 and documenting the institution’s transition toward its eventual absorption into Barclays Bank (Dominion, Colonial and Overseas). The set shows three engraved color variants—blue, red, and black—each printed by Société des Publications Égyptiennes and bearing the iconic obelisk-and-sphinx vignette listing the bank’s intercontinental branches.
The early 1922 black printing corresponds to the final post–World War I design cycle, while the 1924 red issue and the 1926–27 blue issue reflect successive revisions in layout and internal accounting structure. Each cheque carries full manuscript entries, branch stamps, and settlement endorsements, with several exhibiting departmental notations such as “Under Usual Reserve” or “Compensation Dept.,” specific to clearing operations in the Anglo-Egyptian banking network.
Surviving color-variety groups of Anglo-Egyptian Bank cheques are rare, especially complete sequences showing the evolution of the design before the rebranding to Barclays DCO in the late 1920s. This multicolor set is a crucial artifact documenting British financial presence in Egypt during the interwar period and forms an essential reference for the study of overseas branch banking in Alexandria.