Siege of Khartoum currency

Gordon began his military career with the Royal Engineers (1852) and fought in the Crimean War and in China, playing a significant role in stopping the Taiping Rebellion (1863–1864).

In a series of telegrams in early March, 1884, Gordon informed the British government that the Mahdi were closing the roads, cutting off supplies and severing telegraph communications.

Neither representative nor fiat money, Gordon’s notes were more promissory in nature, and were personally guaranteed,[13][14] with the backing of the Egyptian government.

[14] Accepted by both merchants and soldiers,[15] the notes initially provided economic relief and trade stimulus,[16] but had begun to depreciate by July.

[nb 3] Under the British Administration of Sudan there were four types of paper currency issued during the siege of Khartoum (the first two of which are illustrated in the table).

[21] A third type issued on 25 April 1884 is a £20 stg note (extremely rare), with text in French, and signed "Gordon Pasha".