Note: 11.5cm (4.5in) x 15.2cm (6in)
Woodcut printed ten shillings denomination note dated March 1900, green text on cream paper. Issued by the authority of R.S.S. Baden-Powell, Commanding Frontier Forces, and bearing the facsimile signatures of Robert Urry, the manager of the Mafeking branch of the Standard Bank of South Africa, and Captain Herbert Greener, Chief Paymaster of the British South Africa Police. Framed and glazed. Overall: 20cm (8in) x 23cm (9in).
During the 215-day Siege of Mafeking there was a shortage of bank notes for the people to use in everyday dealings. Accordingly, in late 1899 Baden-Powell authorised the issue of siege banknotes. They were produced by Mafeking printers Townshend & Son and were backed by the Standard Bank of South Africa, in denominations of one, two, three and 10-shilling coupons as well as £1 notes. The intention was that, after the siege was over, these could be exchanged for genuine currency, but in practice few were; most were kept as souvenirs, giving the Imperial exchequer a healthy profit. Redemption of the notes ended in 1908.