Description and research notes
A majestic high-denomination specimen from the Bradbury Wilkinson New Zealand lineage, the £10 Brown (Pick S193bs) represents the rare serial-prefix format—bearing dual printed numbers (No. 097476 at upper left and No. 102475 at lower right) that identify it as an official approval or archival pull rather than a plain file copy.
Engraved and printed in London between 1895 and 1908, it continues the established BNZ design tradition: paired Māori figures at left, a coastal vignette below, and an elaborate guilloche frame in a rich brown duty tint. The result is a visually balanced and technically precise composition bridging the artistry of the £5 Orange and the maturity of the 1915 £1 Red.
Perforated SPECIMEN across the signature panel and preserved in PMG 63 Choice Uncirculated, this note exemplifies the apex of the colonial-era BNZ series—one of very few known examples of the £10 denomination in serial-prefix format, and a cornerstone of New Zealand’s pre-Reserve Bank engraved heritage.