Catalog
5 Dollars
| Issuer | British North Borneo Chartered Company |
|---|---|
| Year | 1940 |
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| Printer | Blades, East & Blades Ltd. |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Printed in red on a plain paper ground, the reverse is dominated by an elaborate guilloche composition centred on a large circular medallion bearing the inscription THE BRITISH NORTH BORNEO COMPANY in an arc; a horizontal band through the centre carries the word FIVE in bold letterpress. Two flanking circular guilloche rosettes, each containing the numeral 5, complete the symmetrical design. |
| Reverse lettering | THE BRITISH NORTH BORNEO COMPANY 5 FIVE 5 |
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| Comments |
The British North Borneo Chartered Company was one of the last privately administered colonial territories to issue its own currency — a peculiarity of its founding 1881 royal charter, which granted commercial and governmental powers simultaneously. By 1940, the political logic of a trading company running a currency had long since grown uncomfortable, though London allowed the arrangement to continue.
Japanese forces occupied British North Borneo in January 1942, rendering these notes obsolete almost immediately after issue. Blades, East & Blades printed the series in small quantities, and wartime attrition was severe — the combination of tropical humidity, the occupation, and post-war demonetization eliminated much of the surviving stock.