Catalog
5 Shillings
| Issuer | Government of Malta |
|---|---|
| Year | 1939 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 138 x 80 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | THE GOVERNMENT OF MALTA HEREBY DECLARES THIS NOTE FIVE SHILLINGS TO BE LEGAL TENDER FOR PAYMENTS NOT EXCEEDING £2 |
| Reverse description | The reverse is unprinted, left entirely blank on plain white paper with no design, text, or security features, consistent with the wartime economy of issue. |
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| Comments |
Malta's 1939 5 Shillings note was issued under British colonial authority just weeks before war broke out in Europe. The colony's government moved quickly to stabilize its currency supply in anticipation of wartime disruption, and Bradbury Wilkinson — then the dominant security printer for British colonial issues — produced the run in London.
Wartime conditions hit Malta harder than almost any other Allied territory. The island's siege between 1940 and 1942 meant normal note replacement cycles collapsed entirely. Surviving examples from this issue are frequently found heavily circulated, as damaged notes simply stayed in use far longer than peacetime practice would have permitted.