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1 Pound
| Issuer | Government of Malta |
|---|---|
| Year | 1914 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Pound |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | GOVERNMENT OF MALTA ONE POUND STERLING This Note, issued under the authority of Ordinance No. VIII of 1914, assented to by his Excellency the Governor with the special permission of His Majesty the King, is legal tender for all purposes, and is convertible into gold at the Treasury on days to be notified by Government Notice. 20th August, 1914. By Command JOHN E. CLAUSON Lieutenant -Governor and Chief Secretary to Government £ ONE |
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| Protection type | Embossed seal |
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| Comments |
Malta's currency in 1914 was a genuine administrative improvisation. When war broke out and sterling silver coinage dried up almost immediately, the colonial government rushed these emergency notes into circulation to prevent a complete breakdown in retail transactions. The strip format — extreme by any standard — was a deliberate choice to discourage forgery through sheer oddity, not aesthetic preference.
Clauson was Colonial Treasurer at the time, and his signature carries real administrative weight here: these were government obligations, not bank liabilities, issued under emergency powers rather than any standing monetary legislation.