Catalog
5 Pounds
| Issuer | Southern Rhodesia Currency Board |
|---|---|
| Year | 1939-1952 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Rectangular |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | SOUTHERN RHODESIA CURRENCY NOTES ARE LEGAL TENDER FOR THE PAYMENT OF ANY AMOUNT FIVE POUNDS ISSUED IN TERMS OF THE COINAGE AND CURRENCY ACT 1938 FOR THE SOUTHERN RHODESIA CURRENCY BOARD MEMBER CHAIRMAN |
| Reverse description | Central intaglio vignette of Victoria Falls with lush tropical foliage and a figure seated in the foreground; at left, a large circular guilloche medallion bears the Southern Rhodesia Coat of Arms, while an oval guilloche panel at right serves as the watermark window. The country name SOUTHERN RHODESIA is set within the top border panel, and the denomination £5 appears in each corner. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
The Southern Rhodesia Currency Board was established in 1938, replacing the earlier commercial banking arrangements that had served the territory since the British South Africa Company era. This note, printed by Bradbury Wilkinson at their New Malden works, entered circulation during a period when Southern Rhodesia's economy was being reshaped by wartime production demands — tobacco, chrome, and asbestos exports surged, yet the colony remained tightly bound to sterling area controls throughout.
Four different signatures appear across the series' lifespan, reflecting board membership changes over thirteen years. The Bessle and Fox signatures are the earlier pairings; Munro-signed examples date toward the final issues before the Currency Board was absorbed into the new Central African Federation arrangements of 1953.