5 Shillings

Somaliland's 1994 shilling series, of which this is the lowest denomination, was issued by a government that no sovereign state recognizes — a situation unchanged for three decades. The breakaway republic declared independence from Somalia in 1991 following the collapse of the Siad Barre regime, and commissioning Thomas De La Rue to print its currency was a deliberate act of institutional normalization. Getting one of the world's most reputable security printers to produce your notes signals seriousness; it does not, however, compel diplomatic recognition.

Pick #1 designation confirms this was the inaugural note of the series — and of the issuer entirely.