6 Pence 8/7 Infantry Battalion

Officers' mess scrip from the Second World War period occupies a genuinely obscure corner of military notaphily. These pieces were not issued by any banking or treasury authority — they were internal instruments, printed or handwritten to manage credit within a closed mess economy, covering bar tabs, meals, and similar charges among officers who might settle accounts monthly rather than in cash.

The 8/7 Infantry Battalion was an Australian unit, the hyphenated designation indicating an amalgamation of the 8th and 7th Battalions. Exact print run, issuing officer, and redemption records for mess scrip of this kind were rarely preserved formally, which is precisely why survivors are so difficult to document.