JAPANESE OCC. TERR. BANKNOTES.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Under British and Commonwealth Police - and shortly under British naval - I have posted some items from an officer in the British South Africa Police. When he reached 18 in 1944 he joined the small Rhodesian contingent who were attached the Royal Navy and was posted to serve on board HMS Ceylon. She was a 10,000 ton Colonial Class heavy cruiser and served in Burma and the Far East. Amongst the small collection of items were a number of Japanese Occupation notes - some for Burma and also a number for Dutch Colonies. I am sure they have been seen many times - I doubt if they are rare - however, will show them here for info. - will also mention they are here on the Japanese sub-Forum.

I will show both sides.

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Mervyn Mitton]

100 $'s must have been a high denomination note ?

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Brian Wolfe]

Hello Mervyn,

An interesting post and historically significant material.

I've never seen these before though it's not an area I've looked into very deeply.

Regards

Brian

[Tom Y]

Thanks, Mervyn, these were fairly common when I was a kid, but I've never seen the Burma overprint before. They seem to be in better condition than the ones I remember, too.

[bmsm]

Mervyn,

I remember going to Military Shows years ago and seeing all kinds of Japanese Occupied Territory Banknotes but haven't seen much lately. Either not much interest or not much supply of notes around. I was to a Show this weekend and I think I only saw four or five dealers with any kind of notes on their tables. Thank you for posting.

Bob

[Paul L Murphy]

These are an interesting collecting area, and most notes are relatively inexpensive. The Japanese issued 35 different occupation notes for China and Indochina, 14 notes for the Dutch East Indies, 10 for Malaya, 13 for Philippines, 9 for Burma and 4 for Australia. Obviously the Australian notes were never used !

Prior to this they issued military notes for the Sino-Japanese War, Russo-Japanese War, Tsingtau Expedition in 1914-15 and the Siberian Expedition in 1919-20. Most of these earlier notes are scarce and expensive with almost no examples of Sino Japanese War notes surviving.

[SAM]

These are an interesting collecting area, and most notes are relatively inexpensive. The Japanese issued 35 different occupation notes for China and Indochina, 14 notes for the Dutch East Indies, 10 for Malaya, 13 for Philippines, 9 for Burma and 4 for Australia. Obviously the Australian notes were never used !

Prior to this they issued military notes for the Sino-Japanese War, Russo-Japanese War, Tsingtau Expedition in 1914-15 and the Siberian Expedition in 1919-20. Most of these earlier notes are scarce and expensive with almost no examples of Sino Japanese War notes surviving.

That is a interesting collection of notes you have. I collect Japanese Occupation Currency also. I remember a story my dad a WW.2 vet told me a about when they were on the troop ships home, they had been in the field a good long time and they didn't have any money to play poker on the ship home with so they used the invasion currency that they had pick up or found here and there on the different islands to play with. My dad brought home quite a stack of it that started my collection.

[bmsm]

Here is a set of Allied Military Currency used in Italy, series of 1943. Some of the notes are kind of beat up but the images are still there.

Bob

[bmsm]

Here is a set of Allied Military Currency in 2, 5 and 10 Francs series of 1944. The reverse of the notes on the bottom right is the same on all with the tricolor flag. The notes are 3.06 in long and 2.625 in. wide.

Bob

[bmsm]

This is a British Armed Forces Special Voucher One Pound note, 4th series. This series was never issued and was later auctioned off to dealers.

Bob

[bmsm]

This is a British Armed Forces Special Voucher in One Shilling and Three Pence notes. They are the 2nd series and were issued in 1948. The Special Vouchers were used for transactions within official canteens and organisations laid down in the G.R,Os of the theatre.

Bob

[Mervyn Mitton]

Interesting additions,Bob. This is obviously a collecting field in it's own right.

Sam, welcome to the Forum. Would be nice to see some of your collection posted.

[bmsm]

This is a Japanese Occupation Note for Tien Gulden of the Netherlands Indies issued in 1942. The translation of "De Japansche Regeering Betaalt Aan Toonder" means " The Japanese Government Pays To Bearer". This is a large note measuring 6.625 in. long and 3.00 in wide.

Bob

[bmsm]

Before I do any more postings, I would like to explain the first large block letter found on the Japanese Occupation Money.

On the obverse side of the notes is found a large block letter which will indicate what country the money is for. Not all the notes have these block letters.

Example:

B is for Burma and is in Rupees and Cents.

P is for Philippines and is in Pesos and Centavos.

M is for Malaya and is in Dollars and Cents.

O is for Oceania and is in Pounds and Shillings.

S is for the Netherlands Indies and is in Cents and Gulden. The reason the letter S is used is because it is from the Japanese word "Shonan" (the Great eastern Territories) which is the Japanese name for Indonesia.

Bob

Edited April 25, 2010 by bmsm

[bmsm]

This is a Japanese Occupation note for One Peso for the Philippines and was issued in 1943.

Bob

[bmsm]

These are Japanese Occupation Notes for One and Ten Centavos for the Philippines and were issued in 1942. The One Centavo note is only 3.5 in. long and 1.75 in. wide. The Ten Centavo note is 4.18 in. long and 2.00 in. wide.

Bob

[bmsm]

This is a Japanese Occupation Note for the Philippines for Fifty Centavos. It was issued in 1942 and is 4.70 in. long and 2.25 in wide.

Bob