Description and research notes
Printers archival oversized proof for the Bank of New South Wales Ten Shillings, classified in the Standard Catalog and grading records as New Zealand Pick S161s (ND 1924-1933) and produced in London by Charles Skipper and East. This example survives on an oversized, untrimmed sheet and represents the most internal and earliest preserved production state of the design.
Although cataloged under New Zealand, the design belongs to the broader Australasian operating structure of the Bank of New South Wales, a trans Tasman institution active in both Australia and New Zealand. As with other interwar colonial banking issues, engraving and printing were executed in London, where firms such as Skipper and East supplied unified design languages for banks operating across multiple jurisdictions.
This proof is printed single sided in orange red intaglio on an oversized sheet with wide untrimmed margins and a completely blank reverse. The enlarged format was intentional. London security printers routinely pulled proofs on oversized paper to allow inspection of ink spread, plate pressure, line integrity, and margin balance before trimming dimensions were finalized. Such sheets were retained within the printers workshop and archive and were never intended for bank distribution.
The sheet carries the perforated control legend SPECIMEN C SKIPPER AND EAST, formed through a fine matrix of pinhole perforations applied by the printer. This marking functioned as an internal control device identifying non circulating proof material. It was not a cancellation and was not applied by an issuing authority.
The engraved face displays Skipper and East interwar style, with ornamental guilloche frames, dense microlettering within the TEN SHILLINGS value panels, and a central vignette combining maritime and pastoral imagery. The allegorical female figure, sheep, and fully rigged sailing vessel represent agriculture, trade, and transport across the Australasian economy. Examination on an oversized sheet preserves engraving detail and line transitions that are partially lost once notes are trimmed to final format.
The ND 1924-1933 date range reflects catalog convention rather than a single moment of engraving. Skipper and East reused master steel plates over extended periods, updating lettering and institutional references as banking charters evolved. Oversized proofs such as this document the printers finalized plate state prior to trimming and presentation decisions.
No issued notes are known for this design. All documented examples survive only as proofs bearing printer applied SPECIMEN control markings. Within that context, the oversized format represents a distinct survival category. No second oversized proof has been documented, illustrated, or recorded in institutional collections, auction records, or grading census data.
As a result, this oversized proof constitutes a structurally unique archival artifact. Its rarity is defined by format as well as by function, and it stands as the sole documented oversized proof of the Bank of New South Wales Ten Shillings design. It serves as primary evidence of London security printing workflow and archival practice for colonial banks during the interwar period.