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1000 Dollars 'Banana Money' Japanese Government
| Issuer | Japanese Government (Military Currency) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1942 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | The central vignette presents an ox cart with a thatched canopy set against a tropical landscape of palm trees and native dwellings, rendered in fine intaglio line work. Above the vignette, the legend 'THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT' appears in large letterpress type, followed by 'PROMISES TO PAY THE BEARER ON DEMAND', with the denomination cartouche 'ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS' in an ornate guilloche panel. The four corners carry the numeral '1000' within decorative frames, flanked by an elaborate scrollwork border, with the Japanese imperial legend 大日本帝國政府 at the foot of the note; block letters 'MU' appear in red at left and right of the design field. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT PROMISES TO PAY THE BEARER ON DEMAND ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS 大日本帝國政府 |
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Japan's wartime occupation authorities issued this note as part of the military scrip series imposed across Malaya, Singapore, and Borneo following the February 1942 fall of Singapore. The term "Banana Money" derived from the banana tree motifs that appeared on lower denominations — the nickname stuck across the entire series by association. Crucially, the Japanese military printed these without any backing, serial numbers, or fixed quantity controls, and the resulting inflation was catastrophic. By 1945, a bag of rice could cost thousands of dollars in this currency.
After the surrender, the British colonial administration refused to honor any of it. Overnight redemption became worthless — a deliberate policy partly to punish collaborators who had accumulated large holdings.