Banco Nacional Ultramarino
Encyclopedia
Banco Nacional Ultramarino (ˈbɐ̃ku nɐsiuˈnaɫ uɫtɾɐmɐˈɾinu; ; National Overseas Bank) was a Portuguese
bank
with operations throughout the world, especially in Portugal's former overseas provinces. It ceased existence as an independent legal entity in Portugal following its merger with Caixa Geral de Depósitos
, the government-owned savings bank, in 2001.
The Bank continues operations today under the Banco Nacional Ultramarino brand in the Chinese SAR of Macau
, a former Portuguese colony
, where it is also licensed to issue Macanese pataca
banknotes.
The Monetary Authority of Macao
has authorized two banks to issue banknotes denominated in Macanese pataca
, the Bank of China
and Banco Nacional Ultramarino S.A., CGD's subsidiary in Macau
. Owing to Macau's Portuguese colonial past, the languages on the banknotes features Portuguese as well as Chinese.
The Banco Nacional Ultramarino introduced its first pataca notes in 1906, in denominations of 1, 5, 50 and 100 pataca. The next year it introduced 10 and 25 pataca notes. The BNU began to issue lower-value notes with 5, 10 and 50 avo notes in 1920, and 1 and 20 avo notes in 1942. In 1944, it introduced a 500 pataca note. After 1952, coins replaced denominations below 10 patacas. The bank discontinued the 25 pataca note in 1958.
Previous note designs included the coat of arms of Portugal
; the current issue BNU's corporate logo has replaced the Coat of Arms.
The current issue of BNU banknotes is:
The 2005 series of BNU was printed by Hong Kong Note Printing Limited - Hong Kong.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
with operations throughout the world, especially in Portugal's former overseas provinces. It ceased existence as an independent legal entity in Portugal following its merger with Caixa Geral de Depósitos
Caixa Geral de Depósitos
Caixa Geral de Depósitos is a Portuguese state-owned banking corporation and the largest bank in Portugal.- History :*1876 — Caixa Geral de Depósitos was founded under the aegis of the Junta de Crédito Público....
, the government-owned savings bank, in 2001.
The Bank continues operations today under the Banco Nacional Ultramarino brand in the Chinese SAR of Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
, a former Portuguese colony
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
, where it is also licensed to issue Macanese pataca
Macanese pataca
The pataca is the currency of Macau. It is subdivided into 100 avos , with 10 avos called ho in Cantonese. The abbreviation MOP$ is commonly used....
banknotes.
Timeline
- 1864 - Banco Nacional Ultramarino (BNU) was established in LisbonLisbonLisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal, as a bank of issue for Portuguese overseas territories - 1865 - BNU opened branches in LuandaLuandaLuanda, formerly named São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda, is the capital and largest city of Angola. Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and its administrative center. It has a population of at least 5 million...
, AngolaAngolaAngola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
and PraiaPraiaPraia , is the capital and largest city of Cape Verde, an island nation in the Atlantic Ocean west of Senegal. It lies on the southern coast of Santiago island in the Sotavento Islands group. It is the island's ferry port and is home to one of the nation’s four international airports...
, Cabo Verde. - 1868 - The bank opened branches in São Tomé and PríncipeSão Tomé and PríncipeSão Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about apart and about , respectively, off...
, GoaGoaGoa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, and MozambiqueMozambiqueMozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
. - 1901 - BNU lost its banking monopoly, but retained its monopoly note-issuing monopoly in the countries in which BNU operated.
- 1902 - BNU opened branches in MacauMacauMacau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
and in Bolama, Portuguese Guinea (present-day Guinea-BissauGuinea-BissauThe Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west....
). - 1912 - BNU opened branches opened in DiliDiliDili, spelled Díli in Portuguese, is the capital, largest city, chief port and commercial centre of East Timor.-Geography and Administration:Dili lies on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands....
, East TimorEast TimorThe Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
(present-day Timor Leste, and in Brazil. - 1919 - BNU established a representative office in StanleyvilleKisanganiKisangani is the capital of Orientale Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the 3rd largest urbanized city in the country and the largest of the cities that lie in the tropical woodlands of the Congo....
and a branch in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. - 1920 - BNU established a representative office in BombayMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
. - 1926 - BNU lost its note-issuing monopoly in Angola with creation of Banco de Angola. BNU transferred its branch in Stanleyville to Banco de Angola.
- 1929 - BNU established Anglo-Portuguese Colonial and Overseas Bank, its subsidiary in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and converted its branch in Paris to a subsidiary, Banque Franco-Portugaise d’Outre-Mer. - 1952 - BNU closed its branches in India.
- 1965 - BNU, Banco Português do Atlântico, Banco de Angola, and the South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n company, General Mining and Finance, founded Bank of Lisbon and South Africa. This was later renamed Mercantile Lisbon Bank. - 1970s - BNU bought a stake in Banque Interatlantique in LuxembourgLuxembourgLuxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
. - 1970s - BNU established a representative office in London.
- 1974 - The Portuguese government nationalized BNU, following the Carnation RevolutionCarnation RevolutionThe Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
. - 1975 BNU's interests in Mozambique were nationalized and renamed Banco de MoçambiqueBank of MozambiqueThe Bank of Mozambique is the central bank of Mozambique. The bank does not function as a commercial bank, and has the responsibility of governing the monetary policies of the country. The president of the Republic appoints the governor...
.
- BNU's interests in São Tomé and PríncipeSão Tomé and PríncipeSão Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about apart and about , respectively, off...
were nationalized and renamed National Bank of São Tomé and PríncipeNational Bank of São Tomé and PríncipeThe National Bank of São Tomé and Príncipe is the former name of the central bank of the Atlantic Ocean island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe. The current name is Central Bank of São Tomé and Príncipe.-See also:*Central banks and currencies of Africa...
. In 1993, the government split National Bank into a central bank, Central Bank of São Tomé and PríncipeCentral Bank of São Tomé and PríncipeCentral Bank of São Tomé and Príncipe is the central bank of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe.-History:...
, and a commercial bank, Banco Internacional de Sao Tome e PrincipeBanco Internacional de Sao Tome e PrincipeBanco Internacional de São Tomé e Príncipe is the largest and oldest commercial bank in São Tomé and Príncipe. It consists of a head office and three branches.- History :...
. - BNU's interests in Cape VerdeCape VerdeThe Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
were nationalized and renamed Bank of Cape VerdeBank of Cape VerdeThe Bank of Cape Verde is Cape Verde's central bank. It is located in the national capital of Praia on Santiago in Cape Verde.-History:The government established the Bank of Cape Verde in 1975, as a bank that combined commercial banking and central banking functions...
. In 1993, the government spun off the commercial banking operations into a new bank, Banco Comercial do AtlanticoBanco Comercial do AtlânticoThe Banco Comercial do Atlântico is a Cape Verdean bank. The headquarters of the company is located Praia, the largest city, on Santiago Island in Cape Verde. The bank has 23 branches and sub-branches spread over all 9 inhabited Cape Verdean islands...
.- 1988 - Portuguese Government-owned Caixa Geral de DepósitosCaixa Geral de DepósitosCaixa Geral de Depósitos is a Portuguese state-owned banking corporation and the largest bank in Portugal.- History :*1876 — Caixa Geral de Depósitos was founded under the aegis of the Junta de Crédito Público....
became the majority shareholder of BNU, with the Republic of Portugal the sole other shareholder. - 1991 - BNU opened a branch in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. - 1993 - BNU opened a branch in ZhuhaiZhuhaiZhuhai is a prefecture-level city on the southern coast of Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in the Pearl River Delta, Zhuhai borders Jiangmen to the northwest, Zhongshan to the north, and Macau to the south. Zhuhai was one of the original Special Economic Zones...
, a Special Economic Zone of China. - 1993 - Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD) became the majority shareholder in Banque Franco-Portugaise d’Outre-Mer. In 2002, CGD closed the bank by merging its operations into CGD's branch in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. - 1995 - The Chinese government confirmed that BNU would remain a note issuer in Macao until at least 2010.
- 1999 - BNU opened representative offices in MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
and Panjim (GoaGoaGoa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
), and a branch in DiliDiliDili, spelled Díli in Portuguese, is the capital, largest city, chief port and commercial centre of East Timor.-Geography and Administration:Dili lies on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands....
, Timor LesteEast TimorThe Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
. - 2000 - BNU reached an agreement with the Administration of Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, under which BNU remains an Agent of the Treasury.
- 2001 - BNU and Caixa Geral de Depósitos merged through incorporation of BNU into Caixa Geral de Depósitos; Banque Franco-Portugaise d’Outre-Mer became a branch of Caixa Geral; on July 1, 2000, the MacauMacauMacau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
branch of Banco Nacional Ultramarino became a bank incorporated in Macau SAR under the name Banco Nacional Ultramarino S.A., but remained wholly owned subsidiary of Caixa Geral de DepósitosCaixa Geral de DepósitosCaixa Geral de Depósitos is a Portuguese state-owned banking corporation and the largest bank in Portugal.- History :*1876 — Caixa Geral de Depósitos was founded under the aegis of the Junta de Crédito Público....
, retaining until 2010 its functions as a note issuer and Agent of the Treasury. - 2002 - Caixa Geral acquired majority ownership of Mercantile Lisbon Bank in South Africa, which is now Mercantile Bank.
- 1988 - Portuguese Government-owned Caixa Geral de Depósitos
Banknotes
Monetary Authority of Macao
The Monetary Authority of Macao is a regulatory institution established on December 20, 1999, upon the transfer of the sovereignty of Macau from Portugal to the People's Republic of China as the Macau Special Administrative Region .- History :...
has authorized two banks to issue banknotes denominated in Macanese pataca
Macanese pataca
The pataca is the currency of Macau. It is subdivided into 100 avos , with 10 avos called ho in Cantonese. The abbreviation MOP$ is commonly used....
, the Bank of China
Bank of China
Bank of China Limited is one of the big four state-owned commercial banks of the People's Republic of China. It was founded in 1912 by the Government of the Republic of China, to replace the Government Bank of Imperial China. It is the oldest bank in China...
and Banco Nacional Ultramarino S.A., CGD's subsidiary in Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
. Owing to Macau's Portuguese colonial past, the languages on the banknotes features Portuguese as well as Chinese.
The Banco Nacional Ultramarino introduced its first pataca notes in 1906, in denominations of 1, 5, 50 and 100 pataca. The next year it introduced 10 and 25 pataca notes. The BNU began to issue lower-value notes with 5, 10 and 50 avo notes in 1920, and 1 and 20 avo notes in 1942. In 1944, it introduced a 500 pataca note. After 1952, coins replaced denominations below 10 patacas. The bank discontinued the 25 pataca note in 1958.
Previous note designs included the coat of arms of Portugal
Coat of arms of Portugal
The coat of arms of Portugal was officially adopted on 30 June 1911, along with the republican flag of Portugal. It is based on the coat of arms used by the Portuguese Kingdom since the Middle Ages.-History and meaning:...
; the current issue BNU's corporate logo has replaced the Coat of Arms.
The current issue of BNU banknotes is:
| Banco Nacional Ultramarino 2005 Series Banknote | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Dimensions | Color | Obverse | Reverse | Printed Date |
| MOP$10 | 138 × 69 mm | Yellow/Purple | Statue of Deusa A-Má of Macau | BNU building | August 8, 2005 |
| MOP$20 | 143 × 71.5 mm | Violet | Macau International Airport Macau International Airport - Cargo airlines :The following cargo airlines serve Macau International Airport :*Air Macau*EVA Air Cargo*Shanghai Airlines Cargo*Singapore Airlines Cargo- Other Tenants :* Macau Customs Service... |
August 8, 2005 | |
| MOP$100 | 153 × 76.5 mm | Blue | Largo do Senado | August 8, 2005 | |
| MOP$500 | 158 × 79 mm | Green | Macau Tower Macau Tower Macau Tower Convention & Entertainment Centre , also known as Macau Tower, is a tower located in the former Portuguese colony of Macau, now a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. The tower measures 338 m in height from ground level to the highest point... |
August 8, 2005 | |
| MOP$1000 | 163 × 81.5 mm | Orange | Macau Cultural Centre | August 8, 2005 |
The 2005 series of BNU was printed by Hong Kong Note Printing Limited - Hong Kong.