10 shillings 1958 specimen

Common. While this is a specimen note from the inaugural 1958 issue, eBay market data shows regular circulation-grade 10 Shillings notes from this series selling for $10–$42 depending on condition, with typical VF examples around $20–$30. Specimen notes, though issued in limited quantities for official and archival purposes, are not particularly scarce in the collector market. The specimen overprint and zero serial numbers are standard for this category of note. No evidence suggests an unusually restricted print run or strong collector premiums for this specific Pick number.

Ghana achieved independence in 1957, and the Bank of Ghana was established to issue the nation's first national currency. The 10 Shillings note, dated 1 July 1958, was part of the inaugural currency series, with denominations still expressed in the sterling shilling system prior to Ghana's 1965 conversion to the decimal cedi. The visual emphasis on the Bank of Ghana building in Accra and cocoa plants reflects the nation's institutional pride and its primary economic commodity at the time of independence.

The obverse features the Bank of Ghana building, a modernist multi-story institutional structure prominently positioned in the center-right, symbolizing Ghana's new financial establishment and national sovereignty. The note incorporates bilingual text in English and Arabic script, reflecting Ghana's pan-African and Islamic diplomatic positioning in the post-independence era. Ornamental spiral designs and geometric borders frame the composition in shades of green, beige, pink, and black. The reverse displays an elaborate circular medallion centered on a star containing 'BANK OF GHANA' text, with cocoa pod and leaf motifs arranged in an intricate circular pattern—a direct visual reference to Ghana's dominant export commodity. The entire design demonstrates exceptionally fine line engraving with detailed mesh and crosshatch patterns characteristic of Thomas De La Rue's premium security printing.

Front: 'BANK OF GHANA' (institutional header); 'THIS NOTE IS ISSUED ON STATUTORY AUTHORITY AND IS LEGAL TENDER IN GHANA FOR THE PAYMENT OF ANY AMOUNT' (legal tender declaration); 'شلغوفا' in Arabic script translating to 'Ten Shillings'; 'TEN SHILLINGS' (English denomination); 'ACCRA' (issuing city); '1ST JULY 1958' (issue date); 'SPECIMEN' (specimen overprint); 'DIRECTOR' and 'GOVERNOR' (signature lines); '10/' (denomination symbol); 'THOMAS DE LA RUE & CO LTD.' (printer attribution). Back: 'BANK OF GHANA' (within central star); '10/' (denomination); 'SPECIMEN' (specimen overprint).

Intaglio engraving with multi-color printing. The note was produced by Thomas De La Rue & Company Ltd. (TDLR), the renowned London-based security printer. The technique involved traditional steel plate engraving to create fine line patterns, geometric borders, and intricate botanical illustrations, printed in green, black, and additional color layers. The precision of the repeating patterns and the complexity of the cocoa plant illustrations indicate masterwork-level engraving typical of De La Rue's premium currency production during the mid-20th century.

This note is identified as Pick P-1as, the specimen variety of the 10 Shillings 1958 issue. The 'as' suffix denotes the specimen variant, distinguished by the red 'SPECIMEN' overprint and zero serial numbers (000000). The PMG population report confirms multiple varieties exist for this base Pick number (P-1a regular, P-1as specimen, P-1d, P-1s), with P-1s printed by TDLR. This particular specimen was issued on the official date of 1 July 1958 by the Bank of Ghana under Governor and Director authorization, with all identifying marks consistent with Bank of Ghana specimen distribution practices.