Japanese Occupation of Territories invasion notes for use in Oceania, mainly New Guinea, [1942?]

SAFE/MLMSS 3540 ADD-ON 1542/Box 7

file

[1942?]

9648713

21 invasion notes - 7.7 x 15.9 cm or smaller - printed

Includes all four denominations of the Japanese government-issued Oceanian banknotes:

Half shilling note, purple (5.8 x 12.0 cm): 3 notes printed in block OA, 5 notes printed in block OC;
One shilling note, blue (6.7 x 13.9 cm): 1 note printed in block OB, 4 notes printed in block OC;
Ten shillings note, brown (7.2 x 14.8 cm): 7 notes printed in block OA;
One pound note, green (7.7 x 15.9 cm): 1 note printed in block OA.

Kept by Alec Chisholm in an envelope with the printed logo of the Royal Australian Historical Society, labelled by hand 'Japanese money'.

Oceania notes bear the title "The Japanese Government" rather than the name or region for which they were intended. A palm-lined beach and a serial number consisting of two letters are depicted on all denominations. The first letter (O) indicates the note was printed and issued for Oceania. The second letter is the block or printing batch of the note. The half-shilling and one shilling were printed in three blocks (OA, OB and OC). The ten shillings and one pound were only printed in a single block (OA). The Oceania Pound was abolished in late 1945, with the old currency replaced by the Australian Pound or the US dollar depending on the territory.