1 Gulden

De Javasche Bank's decision to issue a 1 Gulden note in 1940 was a direct consequence of coin hoarding that began as war approached Europe. With nickel and silver disappearing from circulation across the Dutch East Indies, small-denomination paper became a practical necessity almost overnight.

This is one of the few issues actually printed in Batavia rather than contracted to a European security printer — a logistical reality forced by the severing of reliable sea routes to the Netherlands after the German occupation in May 1940. The local printing infrastructure was limited, and it shows in the relative simplicity of the security features compared to earlier Javasche Bank issues produced by Joh. Enschedé in Haarlem.