Hutt River Province declared secession from Western Australia in 1970, and Leonard Casley — who styled himself Prince Leonard I — pursued the conceit with considerable thoroughness, eventually issuing coins, stamps, and paper currency. These notes were never legal tender in any recognized jurisdiction, but were sold to collectors and tourists visiting the property, which functioned more as a novelty micronation than a functioning state.
The 1974 paper issues are the earliest of the Province's banknote-format pieces. Casley reportedly cited an obscure provision of the Wheat Quotas Act in his original secession argument — whether legally sound or not, it kept Australian authorities at arm's length for decades.
Hutt River Province declared secession from Western Australia in 1970, and Leonard Casley — who styled himself Prince Leonard I — pursued the conceit with considerable thoroughness, eventually issuing coins, stamps, and paper currency. These notes were never legal tender in any recognized jurisdiction, but were sold to collectors and tourists visiting the property, which functioned more as a novelty micronation than a functioning state.
The 1974 paper issues are the earliest of the Province's banknote-format pieces. Casley reportedly cited an obscure provision of the Wheat Quotas Act in his original secession argument — whether legally sound or not, it kept Australian authorities at arm's length for decades.