The Money of War

Pictured above are the 5-, 10- and 100-yen notes issued by the Bank of Japan in 1945-46.  It's unclear to me whether or not the 10-yen note which was issued in 1945 was issued during or after the war.  The Bank of Japan history doesn't mention what was going on in August/September of '45 in this matter.  The money didn't change appearance too much during and after the war.

the Japanese occupation banknotes issued for Malaya in 1942 ($5) and 1944 ($100) with very similar designs to almost all of the other Japanese WWII occupation notes pictured in this thread.



Although the date printed on these notes says 1941, they were all issued in 1945 after the war.  This series of banknotes had a huge range of denominations from 1-cent to 10,000 dollars ($10k being a reported but not confirmed value according to my catalog.)

This design for the 5 franc note was first issued in 1922; this copy is dated November 1941, during the Vichy government of France's North African colonies.

Norway's 1 krone banknote was issued in 1917.  This was actually not replaced by a new design until 1940.

After the war left the Philippines, this note was issued by the Central Bank of the Philippines (c.1949); the back has the "Victory" overprint like one I posted earlier but also has the bank name added in red.  this one also came in denominations up to 500 pesos.



During the war, numerous provinces and 'currency committees' issued money for use in guerrilla-held areas.  Pictured above are two examples.  There are hundreds of issues and desgins.

Russian paper money is some of the most beautiful, in my opinion.  Pictured above is the 1899 issue of the 50-ruble note.  The signature tell us this was issued between 1912-17 and in use during WWI until the Revolution.


These 3- and 10-ruble notes are from the 1902-12 issue; again, the Shipov signature (the one on the left on the 3-ruble note/the one that starts in the '0' of the '10' lower center of the 10-ruble note) tells us these are from 1912-17.

Yes, this bill clearly has '1898' printed on it at center bottom; it is however from a 1915-1917 issue of the 1-ruble note.  The serial number prefix probably indicates that this copy was actually issued by the Provisional Government (the one between the Tsar and a full Communist take-over which briefly ruled in 1918.)  I'm not 100% sure on this one!

100 ruble 1918 'Government Credit Note', issued after fall of Tsar but before Communists took over.

500-ruble State Treasury Note from 1918. 

I consider this and the next ones more from the Russian Civil War than WWI but since they over-lapped, I'll post them here.  This one is from Odessa, where a Ukrainian government issued 'Exchange Notes of Odessa Area'.

South Russia 100-ruble banknote issued in 1919.  It's really a work of art!

Transcaucasian Commissariat 100-ruble banknote, issued 1918.

The Azerbaijan Socialist Soviet Republic's 5 million ruble note of 1923.  Shown here to prove the inflation of the time and show the various Soviet Republics of the USSR had issued their own money in the early years.

the above banknote is from the Siberian Krasnoyarsk Territory and was issued in 1919.  This one is 25-rubles but also came in 1, 3, 5 and 10 rubles.

This 1920 100-ruble note comes from Chita in Eastern Siberia.

50-kopeks denomination from Priamur region of Eastern Siberia also from 1920.


The above scans show both sides of a curious note I found in a local coin shop.  I believe it's from the US occupation of Vladivostok c1919-20 and represents a coupon/'money' usable in the "American Grill" (a local restaurant?).  I found two and sold one to a collector in Vladivostok who is attempting to find out more but so far has come up empty.  This is a 1-ruble note and a 3-ruble note has sold on a large currency auction several years ago as well.  The bottom line in English and Russian don't quite match--the Russian says, roughly, 'redeemable for 1 ruble'/'you will be re-imbursed 1 ruble'.  Very curious!


2 more unknown/uncatalogued notes representing WWI/Russian Civil War 'coupons' good for money + interest at some future date.

This 1946 Sweden banknote is the same--except for the date at left--as that from 1918 to 1952.  This 5 kronor note would have been seen at the end of WWI and throughout WWII.

I've described Military Payment Certificates in an early post.  This 5-cent note is from the first series, #461.  It was issued in Europe for occupying US troops on 16 September, 1946, and two weeks later in Japan and Korea for the Pacific Theatre.  It was withdrawn 10 March, 1947.  (A very short period of use!)

Series 471 replaced the above 461 on 10 March, 1947, and withdrawn on 22 March, 1948.