Until the Reserve Bank of New Zealand was created in 1934, New Zealand's "Trading Banks" issued their own notes. The Bank of New Zealand, still in operation today as BNZ, was the largest of these banks. Other banks, such as the Bank of Australasia and the Union Bank of Australia, merged to become ANZ. The Commercial Bank of Australia and the Bank of New South Wales merged to form Westpac.

Banknotes issued by these banks were available in various denominations, with the largest in circulation being 100 Pounds. One such note, the Aventine BNZ £100, was previously owned by Falconer Larkworthy, the BNZ's managing director, as well as for the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company.