1 Pound Allied Liberation

Guernsey was occupied by German forces from June 1940 until liberation in May 1945, during which time the island issued its own occupation currency under severe material constraints. This Liberation issue was prepared and printed locally by The Guernsey Press almost immediately after the German surrender — the speed mattered, because the pre-occupation sterling notes had largely been hoarded, damaged, or removed, and the island's monetary situation was genuinely chaotic in the weeks following liberation.

The Guernsey Press had already been printing notes during the occupation itself, so the infrastructure was in place. Pick 33A is distinguished from the related 33B by its serial number prefix configuration.