Catalog
2 Dollars Government Issue
| Issuer | Government of British Guiana |
|---|---|
| Year | 1937-1942 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Green on purple underprint with black serial numbers, date, and signatures. A waterfall vignette occupies the centre, with a toucan at left and a ship seal at right. Text inscriptions in letterpress complete the face. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Uniface green intaglio print on an intricate guilloche background. An oval portrait medallion of King George VI in military dress uniform is centred, framed by elaborate lace-pattern guilloche panels. Stylised numeral '2' cartouches appear at left and right within ornate scalloped borders. |
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| Comments |
British Guiana's government-issued notes of this period existed because the colony lacked a chartered bank with note-issuing rights that could meet local demand at smaller denominations. Waterlow & Sons handled the printing in London, as they did for a substantial portion of British colonial paper money during the interwar and wartime years.
The 1937–1942 date range spans the onset of the Second World War, which created genuine practical difficulties in getting printed currency stock from London to Georgetown. Shipping disruptions meant some colonial territories held extended note issues well beyond their intended replacement cycles, and British Guiana was no exception.