100 Mils Emergency Fractional Issue

Israel's first currency issue arrived in emergency conditions. The Provisional Government needed fractional denominations immediately upon declaring independence in May 1948, before any formal central bank existed or printing infrastructure was in place. These notes were produced under considerable logistical pressure, and the entire series was deliberately designed as a stopgap pending the eventual establishment of the Bank of Israel.

Otte Wallisch, a Prague-born graphic artist who had emigrated to Mandatory Palestine, designed the series. His involvement was practical necessity as much as artistic commission — qualified designers with relevant experience were scarce in the new state's first weeks.