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1 Pound Partisan Propaganda
| Issuer | British Political Warfare Executive (PWE) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1944 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Yes |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Bank of England I Promise to pay the Bearer on Demand the sum of One Pound LONDON For the Govr. and Compa. of the BANK of ENGLAND Mi Vam Donosimo Slobodu (Translation: We Bring You Freedom) |
| Reverse description | The reverse, printed in black and red on plain paper, bears a detailed outline map of Italy and the Adriatic coast with Allied and partisan flags marking advancing front lines, alongside a photographic vignette of a pointing hand. Propaganda text in Serbian/Croatian script occupies the right half, printed in alternating red cursive and black letterpress. |
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| Comments |
The Political Warfare Executive produced this counterfeit British pound during the Second World War as a psychological warfare instrument — not for financial disruption but for distribution behind enemy lines as anti-German propaganda. The reverse carried printed text exposing Nazi economic exploitation of occupied territories, making the notes less forgeries in the criminal sense and more deliberate leaflets dressed as currency.
Walter Monckton Keesey had direct access to genuine Bank of England notes for reference, which gave the imitation a credibility that pure fabrication could not have achieved. The PWE coordinated with SOE networks for physical distribution, often airdropped in bulk over occupied Europe.