From: barth@cbnewsd.cb.att.com (barth.richards)
Subject: Re: Currency/Coin Help Requested
Organization: AT&T
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 18:02:59 GMT


In article <188l16INNiah@network.ucsd.edu> abolyana@weber.ucsd.edu (Alex Bolyanatz) writes:

>I picked up 3 1 shillling and 1 1 dollar notes printed by the
>Japanese government during their occupation of New Ireland
>1942-1945.  They are not in great shape.  Can anyone tell me what
>they're worth (if anything)?


Don't go shopping for new cars or houses or anything.  :-)

The shilling notes were printed by the Japanese Government for the
WWII occupation of a collection of British possessions in the south
pacific referred to as Oceania.  Oceania notes can be distinguished from
the other Japanese occupation notes in that:

   1. they have block letters beginning with "O" and

   2. they were the only Japanese occupation notes in sterling denominations.

The listing from Albert Pick's STANDARD CATALOG OF WORLD PAPER MONEY (sixth
edition, 1990) reads as follows:

                                     VG      VF     UNC

   1 shilling
     a. block letters OA, OB        1.50    4.00   10.00
     b. block letters OC             .50    1.50    3.00


The one dollar note was issued for the Japanese occupation of Malaya.
Malayan occupation notes can be distinguished from the other Japanese
occupation notes in that they have block letters beginning with "M."  This
series was also the only one to have notes in dollar denominations.  Small
change notes were also issued in cent denominations.

The listing from Albert Pick's STANDARD CATALOG OF WORLD PAPER MONEY (sixth
edition, 1990) reads as follows:

                                          VG      VF     UNC

   1 dollar
     a. block letters w/ serial #       10.00   30.00   90.00
     b. block letters MB-MH, MK-MN, MR    .35    1.00    4.00
     c. block letters MI, MO, MS          .10     .25     .75


The Japanese issued occupation notes for Oceania, Malaya, the Philippines,
Burma, Netherlands East Indies, Hong Kong, China, and French Indochina.
Except as noted below, all of the Japanese occupation notes were printed in
English and had the legend "The Japanese Government" on the front.



              initial
occupied      block     monetary
territory     letter    units used
---------     -------   ----------
Oceania       O         pounds, shillings

Malaya        M         dollars, cents

Philippines   P         pesos, centavos

Burma         B         rupees

Netherlands   S         gulden, cents
East Indies                (Notes printed in Dutch.  They later issued
                           roepiah notes printed in Javanese.)

Hong Kong     -         yen
                           (Reprinted old Japanese note designs, many in
                           new colors, with four character red overprint
                           that read "Canton Province.")

China         -         yen, sen
                           (Notes were in Japanese and featured birds
                           or dragons, and generally had black borders and
                           yellow or green underprint, though some of the
                           small change notes were of different colors.)

French        -         yen, sen
Indochina                  (same designs as the issues for China, but in
                           different colors)

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