5 Shillings

Malawi's first banknotes, issued at independence in July 1964, were rushed into production before the country formally separated its currency from the broader Rhodesia and Nyasaland federation setup. The Reserve Bank of Malawi had only been established that same year, making P#1 a genuinely inaugural issue rather than a transitional carryover.

Bradbury Wilkinson produced the series from their New Malden works, the same facility responsible for dozens of newly independent nations' first notes during the 1960s decolonization wave. The "Ag." prefix on Holl's signature indicates an acting appointment — the bank's permanent senior staff positions were not yet fully filled at the time of printing.