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5 Shillings - British Military Authority
| Issuer | British Military Authority |
|---|---|
| Year | 1942-1947 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Thomas De La Rue & Company |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 5/- ISSUED BY THE BRITISH MILITARY AUTHORITY FIVE SHILLINGS 5/- |
| Reverse description | Central guilloche vignette in purple-violet with an elaborate acanthus-leaf and scroll surround enclosing the large numeral denomination '5/-' set against a fine geometric latticework underprint. A teal green scalloped border frames the entire design with floral corner ornaments. |
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| Comments |
The British Military Authority notes were produced ahead of the Allied landings in North Africa and later used across multiple theatres — Italy, the Middle East, and parts of Northwest Europe — as a controlled currency designed to prevent occupying troops from disrupting local economies with sterling or dollars. The BMA series was a deliberate instrument of monetary control, not a stopgap.
De La Rue printed the series in London well before the territories where they'd circulate were even secured. Malta, Tripolitania, and the British Zone of Germany each saw these notes in use at different points across the five-year window.