Catalog
5 Shillings - George V
| Issuer | Government of Jamaica |
|---|---|
| Year | 1918 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 155 × 84 mm |
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| Reverse description | Printed in brown and olive on yellow paper, the reverse is composed of three ornate circular vignettes set within interlocking guilloche borders. The central oval vignette shows an engraved rural scene of a wooden bridge spanning a tropical river with wooded hills beyond; a banner below reads the authorising laws. The left medallion contains a vignette of breadfruit on a branch, while the right medallion presents a pineapple plant, each captioned FIVE SHILLINGS within a scroll. The denomination numeral 5/- appears in a black cartouche at the base of the central vignette, with the printer's imprint below. |
| Reverse lettering | GOVERNMENT OF JAMAICA FIVE SHILLINGS FIVE SHILLINGS LAWS 27 OF 1904 AND 17 OF 1918 WATERLOW & SONS LTD. LONDON. |
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| Comments |
Jamaica's Government direct-issue notes of this period came about because the colonial banking system — dominated by the Canadian-chartered banks — was poorly equipped to handle the liquidity demands of the First World War. The 1918 series was authorized under emergency currency legislation, with Waterlow & Sons handling production in London as they did for a substantial portion of British colonial paper at the time.
The 5 Shilling denomination in this series is the scarcest of the group. Surviving examples frequently show handling damage consistent with heavy tropical circulation — the Caribbean humidity was unkind to paper currency, and redemption rates were high once the emergency issues were retired.