Private company

Colonial Bank of Issue

Bank in New Zealand

The Colonial Bank of Issue was a New Zealand state owned bank that operated between 1847 and 1856 in an early unsuccessful attempt to create a government-owned issuer of bank notes in New Zealand. The bank was created by an Ordinance of the Governor of New Zealand, Sir George Grey. Its first manager was Charles Knight.² Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1847Founded¹

Industryeconomics of banking¹
Legal formstate-owned enterprise¹

See how the biggest companies compare on our leaderboards

Promissory note (AM 605759-3) — Photo: Unknown author Unknown author, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons³

The Colonial Bank of Issue was a New Zealand state owned bank that operated between 1847 and 1856 in an early unsuccessful attempt to create a government-owned issuer of bank notes in New Zealand. The bank was created by an Ordinance of the Governor of New Zealand, Sir George Grey. Its first manager was Charles Knight.²

Timeline

1856Dissolved Dissolved¹
1847Founded Founded¹

Links

WikipediaColonial Bank of Issue
More imagesWikimedia Commons
WikidataQ5148294

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

1
WikidataColonial Bank of Issue on Wikidata
2
WikipediaColonial Bank of Issue on Wikipedia
3
Wikimedia CommonsColonial Bank of Issue photo by Unknown author Unknown author, CC BY 4.0