Catalog
100 Yen US Military Currency - A-Note
| Issuer | Allied Military Authority |
|---|---|
| Year | 1946 |
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| Composition | Paper |
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| Obverse description | Printed in black intaglio over a light blue guilloche underprint, the obverse carries a large letter 'A' as a central underprint device. The denomination '100' appears within an ornate cartouche at right, while 'ONE HUNDRED YEN' and the kanji '百圓' are inscribed in bold at centre. The series designation 'SERIES 100' appears at upper left and lower right, with 'MILITARY CURRENCY' running along the lower border and alphanumeric serial numbers at left and right. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Printed in brown intaglio on a uniform guilloche background, the reverse is centred on a large foliate and acanthus-style scrollwork ornament rendered in fine detail. A decorative frame borders the entire face, with the English inscription 'ISSUED PURSUANT TO MILITARY PROCLAMATION' in a panel at the top and the Japanese equivalent '軍事布告に基き發行す' along the lower margin. |
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| Comments |
Allied Military Currency for Japan was printed in the United States and issued following the August 1945 surrender, giving occupation forces a parallel currency that could be controlled independently of the existing Japanese monetary system. The "A" prefix series — hence the collector designation "A-Note" — was introduced specifically to counter black market abuse, particularly the problem of servicemen converting military scrip into yen and remitting the proceeds home at favorable rates.
The A-Note designation comes from the series letter printed on the note, not a separate classification imposed later. When abuse continued despite the currency change, authorities eventually prohibited Japanese nationals from holding these notes altogether.