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5 Shillings
| Issuer | Government of Cyprus |
|---|---|
| Year | 1952 |
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| Currency | Pound (1879-1955) |
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| Obverse description | Central intaglio portrait of King George VI in right-facing profile, set within a guilloche oval frame. Trilingual denomination inscriptions in English (FIVE SHILLINGS), Greek (ΠΕΝΤΕ ΣΕΛΙΝΙΑ), and Turkish (BEŞ ŞİLİN) flank the royal vignette, with the issuing authority legend across the top, serial numbers in the upper left and upper right corners, the date 1st February, 1952 at lower centre, and the Commissioner of Currency signature at lower right. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is entirely covered by an intricate multicolour guilloche pattern in pink and blue-green tones, comprising interlocking floral and geometric engine-turned lathe-work radiating from a central cartouche bearing the issuer's name in bold serif lettering. No figurative imagery is present, the composition relying entirely on the anti-counterfeiting density of the guilloche underprint. |
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| Comments |
Cyprus in 1952 was still under British administration, and the Government of Cyprus — rather than a central bank — remained the note-issuing authority throughout the colonial period. This arrangement persisted until independence in 1960, meaning the series to which this note belongs spans a politically charged transitional decade, one that included the EOKA insurgency beginning in 1955 and sustained pressure for enosis.
Bradbury Wilkinson produced colonial currency across much of the British Empire during this period, and their work for Cyprus was consistently well-executed intaglio printing. The 5 Shillings denomination was the lowest paper value in the series — coins handled smaller transactions — which kept circulation volume high and surviving examples in decent condition rarer than the higher denominations.