Australia 10 Shillings banknote 1918 HALF SOVEREIGN overprints
Obverse: The Coat of arms of the Commonwealth of Australia at left and Imperial State Crown at center. The margins of the 10 shilling note were again overprinted in red with "HALF SOVEREIGN" to help distinguish it from other denominations. The note featured the words: "The Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Australia promises to pay the Bearer TEN SHILLINGS in gold coin on Demand at the Commonwealth Treasury at the Seat of Government". The bottom centre of the notes carried the imprint "T.S. Harrison Australian Note Printer". Signatures: James R. Collins (Secretary of the Treasury) and C. J. Cerutty (Assistant Secretary of the Treasury).
Mr Thomas S Harrison, previously Manager of a London printing company, was appointed to the position of Australian Note Printer in May 1912. Printing works were set up by the Treasury at the King's (later Queen's) Warehouse, Flinders Street Extension, Melbourne.
Reverse: The first ten shilling banknote featured the Goulburn Weir in Victoria built in the late 1880s as part of Australia's first big irrigation scheme.
The Goulburn Weir was built between 1887 and early 1891 across the Goulburn River near Nagambie, Victoria, Australia. It was the first major diversion structure built for irrigation development in Australia. The weir also forms Lake Nagambie where rowing regattas and waterskiing tournaments are held. The weir is 209 metres long by about 16 metres high. The structure also contained one of the first hydro-electric turbines in the southern hemisphere, used to supply power for lifting and lighting.Its design was considered very advanced for its time, so much so that it featured on the back of half sovereign and ten shilling notes from 1913 to 1933.
Australian Banknotes
The Treasury Series of Australian Commonwealth Notes
ND (1913-1918) "Coat of arms of the Commonwealth of Australia" Issue
ND (1913-1918) "Coat of arms of the Commonwealth of Australia" Issue
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