Catalog
2 Shillings 6 Pence - George V
| Issuer | Bermuda Government |
|---|---|
| Year | 1920 |
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| Currency | Pound sterling (1158-1970) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | THE GOVERNMENT OF BERMUDA TWO SHILLINGS AND SIX PENCE THIS NOTES ARE LEGAL TENDER FOR THE PAYMENT OF ANY AMOUNT 2/6 HAMILTON 1st August 1920 RECEIVER GENERAL THOS. DE LA RUE & Co. Ltd. LONDON |
| Reverse description | Printed entirely in green, the reverse presents a central oval vignette of a period sailing vessel under full sail, enclosed within an engraved frame of floral garlands and ribbon bows. Guilloche denomination cartouches bearing the fraction '2/6' appear at the left and right margins, with a foliate scroll ribbon below the central vignette carrying the spelled-out denomination. A perforated SPECIMEN cancellation is applied across the upper portion of the design. |
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| Comments |
Bermuda's first government-issued fractional currency came about because of a severe coin shortage during and immediately after World War One — the island's remote supply chains made replenishing circulating silver genuinely difficult. The 2/6 denomination was an unusual choice even by emergency standards, reflecting the actual pricing conventions of the local economy rather than any tidy decimal logic.
De La Rue printed the series in London, and P#2 is notably scarce today. Bermuda's small population meant print runs were correspondingly limited, and redemption rates after the coin shortage eased were high.