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1 Pound - British Military Authority
| Issuer | British Military Authority |
|---|---|
| Year | 1942-1947 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Central denomination numeral flanked by ornate guilloche work, with a crowned lion passant guardant surmounting a royal crown positioned to the right. Issuing authority inscription arcs above the central vignette, with the denomination spelled out in full. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Central panel bearing the sterling symbol £1 in large intaglio letterpress within an ornate scrollwork and acanthus-leaf vignette, set against a multicoloured guilloche underprint in green and ochre tones. A plain oval blank cartouche occupies the right portion of the note, framed by a continuous decorative border. |
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| Comments |
The British Military Authority currency was introduced ahead of the Allied landings in North Africa and later Italy, designed specifically to prevent occupying forces from using local civilian currencies and destabilizing already fragile wartime economies. The BMA notes were also a firewall against the black market — by controlling the money supply in liberated territories, the authorities could theoretically limit profiteering and currency manipulation by both civilians and their own troops.
Thomas De La Rue printed the series in London under wartime security conditions. The same basic design family circulated across multiple theatres, which occasionally causes confusion in attribution — the P#M6 designation distinguishes this from visually similar BMA issues intended for other regions.