The Japanese Occupation of 'M' Malaya
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Updated, August 31 2016 |
The Money (cont.)
'1944-1945' (The Southern Development Bank issues)
The Japanese text which appears in the lower border of every banknote translates as "The Government of Great Imperial Japan". The small circular seal found nearby is of the Ministry of Finance.
Specimens: Notes overprinted with 見本 ('mi-hon') are specimens. Apparently - this has yet to be confirmed - but genuine specimen notes are not truly "overprinted", but have the mihon characters printed on the paper before the banknote design is added, so that they are in effect an underprint.
At least two paper types are known; plain or woven/quadrille.
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10 Dollars
Undated (known to have been issued from 1944). Lithographed front and back. The paper is un-watermarked and contains silk threads. Blue-green on pink-yellow. (front) Coconut palm tree, banana plant, and paw-paw tree. (back) coastal scene from beach, with steam ship and palms. Printer: Japanese Government Type 1 (SCWPM M7c) Block serial: MP only. Sloping sides to the 'M'. Tonal varieties. (right) (Other) (SCWPM M7a, b,) for vertical 'M' types see under 1941-44. Type 4 Specimen Type 5 Allied forgery? Unknown but likely. |
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100 Dollars
Undated (known to have been issued from 1944). Lithographed front and back. The paper is un-watermarked and contains silk threads. Brown. (front) jungle scene with hut. (back) farmer leading pair of oxen along river bed. Printer: Japanese Government Type 1 (SCWPM M8b) Block serial: MT only. Sloping sides to the 'M'. Tonal varieties. (right) (Other) (SCWPM M8a) for vertical 'M' types see under 1941-44. Type 4 Specimen Type 5 Allied forgery? Unknown but likely. |
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100 Dollars (1945)
Undated (known to have been issued during 1945). Most likely an emergency issue. Lithographed front and back. The paper is un-watermarked and contains silk threads. These notes have been produced using poorer quality litho printing than most 'JIM' notes (not that any are of a standard expected of currency). This was once thought by some to have been un-issued, though many clearly well circulated examples have appeared in recent years. Dark brown on green. (front) plantation scene with labourers engaged in rubber tapping. (back) coastal scene with huts. Printer: Local (unknown). Type 1 (SCWPM M9 unlisted) Block serial: MA (only) printed in black. This is the rarest of the Japanese Malaya notes (upper-right). Type 2 (SCWPM M9) Block serial: MA (only) printed in red. Fairly common (right). Type 3 (SCWPM M9) Block serial: MA (only) printed in red. Variant; smaller size note with differences to the block serial size and positioning of the underprint (lower-right). A second variant has been reported. |
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1000 Dollars
Undated (known to have been issued from 1944). Lithographed front and back. Green. (front) jungle scene with oxen pulling cart. (back) farmer leading pair of oxen along river bed. Printer: Japanese Government Type 1 (SCWPM M10a) Block serial: MA (only) in black. Vertical sides to the 'M'. Watermarked paper. 1944? Rare. (right) Type 2 (SCWPM M10b) Block serial: MU (only) in red. Sloping sides to the 'M'. Silk thread paper. 1945? (lower-right) Type 3 Specimen (of Type 1) Type 4 Allied forgery. |
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