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20 Shillings / 1 Pound - George VI India style serial
| Issuer | East African Currency Board |
|---|---|
| Year | 1942 |
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| Printer | Thomas De La Rue & Company, London, United Kingdom |
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| Obverse description | At upper left, an oval intaglio vignette carries a left-facing portrait of King George VI set against a dark cross-hatched background, while the bold letterpress title 'THE EAST AFRICAN CURRENCY BOARD' runs across the top of the note. The central denomination inscription 'TWENTY SHILLINGS OR ONE POUND' is flanked by corner numeral panels reading '20', with subsidiary denomination panels in Arabic and Gujarati scripts printed side by side below — a hallmark of the India-style serial format. The legal tender clause and the date 'Nairobi, 1st August 1942' appear at the foot, with facsimile signatures of the Board Members to either side. |
|---|---|
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| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Comments |
The East African Currency Board's wartime issues were printed under considerable pressure — De La Rue's London operations were actively contending with Luftwaffe bombing during 1940–41, and production priorities shifted repeatedly across the colonial currency portfolio. This 1942 note carries the "India style" serial designation, distinguishing it from earlier and later serial formats within the P#30 series — a collector distinction, not an official one, but a useful shorthand for separating die states.
The Board itself held no reserves of its own; the currency was backed by sterling held in London, making every note in circulation a direct obligation of the British Treasury during the war's most uncertain years.