5 Shillings - British Military Authority
Issuer United Kingdom
Type Standard circulation banknotes
Obverse
Central denomination with crowned lion atop royal crown to right, lettering above.
Lettering: 5/- ISSUED BY THE BRITISH MILITARY AUTHORITY FIVE SHILLINGS 5/-
Reverse
Central denomination flanked by leaf designs.
Lettering: 5/-
Basic Information
Category
Banknote
Ruler
George VI (Wikidata)
Demonetization
Yes
Face Value
5 Shillings (Numeric: 0.25) (Fraction: 5/20)
Physical Characteristics
Composition
Paper
Size
114 mm
Shape
Rectangular
Technical Details
Obverse Lettering
5/- ISSUED BY THE BRITISH MILITARY AUTHORITY FIVE SHILLINGS 5/-
Reverse Lettering
5/-
Comments
Issued by the British military during WWII in North Africa, Italy, Greece and Yugoslavia:
Series A, B, C, D, E, F and L were issued in Tripolitania.
Series K was issued in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.
Series R was issued in mainland Greece and the Dodecanese Islands.
Series S was issued in mainland Italy and Sicily.
Series X was issued in Yugoslavia.
In Tripolitania, these notes were exchanged for Italian lire at a rate of 400 lire = £1, whilst in Italy the rate was 480 lire = £1.
Those issued for use in Greece circulated alongside the new post-war drachma, at a rate of 600 new drachmai to 1 BMA pound, to help the Greek population trust the new drachma through its connection to a stable currency.
On the Dodecanese Islands, the BMA notes replaced the Italian lira at a rate of 400 lire = £1 in 1945. They circulated there until the end of the British adminstration in 1947, when they were replaced by drachmai at a rate of £1 = 20,000 drachmai.