Catalog
10 Shillings - George V
| Issuer | Government of Jamaica |
|---|---|
| Year | 1918 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Reverse description | The centre of the note is occupied by a finely engraved intaglio vignette of a low wooden bridge spanning a calm river amid tropical foliage and distant hills, enclosed within an ornate oval guilloche border bearing the inscription 'GOVERNMENT OF JAMAICA'. A circular medallion at lower left contains a vignette of an orange or breadfruit branch with fruit, while a corresponding medallion at lower right carries a pineapple plant, both surrounded by lace-work guilloche with 'TEN SHILLINGS' lettering. The denomination '10/-' is repeated in a small cartouche at the base of the central vignette. |
| Reverse lettering | GOVERNMENT OF JAMAICA TEN SHILLINGS TEN SHILLINGS LAWS 27 OF 1904 AND 17 OF 1918 WATERLOW & SONS LTD. LONDON |
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| Comments |
Jamaica's wartime currency emergency of 1918 stemmed directly from the disruption of coin shipments from Britain — the same shortage that forced emergency paper issues across several Crown colonies simultaneously. The Government of Jamaica stepped in as direct issuer rather than routing the note through the Colonial Bank or any commercial institution, an arrangement that reflects the administrative urgency of the moment rather than any lasting policy preference.
Waterlow & Sons printed the series, as they did for a substantial portion of British colonial emergency issues during the First World War period. Pick 33 is among the scarcer survivors from this Jamaica government series — the 10 Shilling denomination saw heavy use and relatively few notes were set aside before redemption.