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5 Shillings - British Military Authority
| Issuer | British Military Authority |
|---|---|
| Year | 1942-1947 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is dominated by a bold central denomination numeral '5/-' set within a rectangular guilloche panel, itself enclosed within an elaborate oval vignette of densely engraved acanthus scrollwork and foliate ornaments in dark purple. A fine teal guilloche border with scalloped edges frames the entire field, with small decorative rosette devices at the cardinal points of the outer border. |
| Reverse lettering | 5/- |
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| Comments |
The British Military Authority notes were produced in advance of Allied landings across multiple theatres — North Africa, Italy, and Northwestern Europe — as a deliberate instrument of economic control. Separating occupying forces from local currency prevented black-market pressure on civilian economies and gave military command authority over exchange rates from day one of any occupation.
De La Rue printed these under considerable wartime secrecy. The same basic format circulated across entirely different countries simultaneously, which still causes misattribution headaches when notes surface without documentation of where they were actually spent.