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1 Yen
| Issuer | Imperial Japanese Government |
|---|---|
| Year | 1940 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Two large guilloche rosette panels flank a central rectangular text block bearing a Chinese-language anti-counterfeiting warning inscription. The kanji denomination 壹圓 is enclosed within a guilloche border at left, while the numeral '1' and romanised legend 'YEN' appear at right; the entire design is printed in a single dark brown ink on plain paper. |
| Reverse lettering | 壹圓 / 1 YEN / 如有偽造變造仿造或知情行使者均應重罰不貸 |
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| Comments |
The M-series designation separates this note from civilian issues — P#M2 belongs to the military payment series produced for Japanese forces operating in occupied territories across the Pacific and Southeast Asia. These notes were printed domestically but intended to absorb local currency and resources in occupied regions, effectively converting real goods into paper obligations backed by nothing beyond Japanese military authority.
Counterfeiting by Allied forces was a documented concern. The U.S. Office of Strategic Services and British agencies both produced forged Japanese military currency during the war to destabilize occupied economies, and the simplicity of these lower-denomination notes made them easier targets than the more elaborate civilian series.