Catalog
5 Kyats Specimen
| Issuer | Burma State Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1944 |
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| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 130 × 72 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The central vignette presents a detailed intaglio view of the Mandalay Palace complex reflected in its surrounding moat, with radiating sunburst rays rising behind the palace roofline. The composition is framed by elaborate guilloche scrollwork borders with large numeral 1 rosettes at each corner and denomination numeral 5 at lower left. A diagonal red cursive "Specimen" overprint runs across the centre, and Burmese script inscriptions appear at lower right; the note is printed in red with grey underprint elements. |
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| Variants | P#19 - Block #0. Specimens only |
| Comments |
The Burma State Bank was a wartime creation of the Japanese-backed Ba Maw administration, established after Japan declared Burma nominally independent in August 1943. This 1944 series replaced the earlier Japanese Military Administration currency and was intended to function as a genuine civil banking currency rather than occupation scrip — a distinction with limited practical meaning given the economic conditions on the ground.
Specimens of this series were almost certainly prepared for archival or approval purposes rather than distribution, as the Japanese war position in Burma had deteriorated sharply by mid-1944 with the failed Imphal offensive.