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5 Cents 1941, Malaya and British Borneo

in Krause book Number: 7
Years of issue: 1945
Edition:
Signatures: Chairman of the Commissioners: Mr. H. Weisberg
Serie: 1941 - 1942 (1945) Issue
Specimen of: 01.07.1941
Material: Cotton fiber
Size (mm): 91 х 58
Printer: TDLR (Thomas de la Rue & Company), London

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5 Cents 1941

Description

Watermark:

Avers:

5 Cents 1941

HM The King George VI.

George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George, 14 December 1895 - 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death. He was the last Emperor of India and the first Head of the Commonwealth.

Photo by Dorothy Wilding, HM The King George VI after the Coronation Day, 1937

This engraving is done from the portrait by photographer Dorothy Wilding, made ​​in 1937, after the Coronation Day of His Majesty. The original portrait is now in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

akant

On top are acanthus leaves.

The acanthus is one of the most common plant forms to make foliage ornament and decoration.

The decoration is made by analogy with the herbaceous plant of acanthus acanthus family, native to the Mediterranean. The shape of its leaves, with a few sharp edges, resembling a bear's paw, was the basis for the drawing.

Acanthus often represents life and immortality.

On right and left sides are Laurus nobilis.

Bay leaf

Laurus nobilis is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glossy leaves, native to the Mediterranean region. It is one of the plants used for bay leaf seasoning in cooking. It is known as bay laurel, sweet bay, bay tree (esp. United Kingdom), true laurel, Grecian laurel, laurel tree or simply laurel. Laurus nobilis figures prominently in classical Greek, Roman, and Biblical culture.

Denomination in words are in center and in lower left corner. By big numeral on the right and left sides (top), also centered, and in lower right corner.

Revers:

5 Cents 1941

White background (Uniface).

Comments:

The Malayan dollar was issued by the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Malaya, with a hiatus during the Japanese occupation (1942-1945).

The Board of Commissioners of Currency Malaya, came into being in October 1938 following the Blackett Report which recommended that the sole power of issuing currency for the various Malay States, including Brunei, and the Straits Settlements should be entrusted to a pan-Malayan Currency Commission. Sir Basil Blackett was appointed in 1933 by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to lead a commission to consider the participation of the various Malay States, including Brunei, in the profits and liabilities of the Straits Settlements currency. The Blackett Report was adopted by the Government of the Straits Settlements, the Federated Malay States, Unfederated Malay States and Brunei. Legislation was enacted by the Straits Settlements Currency Ordinance (No. 23) of 1938, and ratified by the various states during 1939. The board started to issue currency in 1939.

In 1952 the board was renamed the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Malaya and British Borneo. See Malaya and British Borneo dollar.

Banknotes in denominations of 1, 5 and 10 dollar notes were printed in the U.K. for circulation in Malaya in 1940. However, out of 27,000,000 one dollar notes and 5,600,000 five dollar notes of the same series despatched to Malaya before the Japanese invasion; 25,800,000 one dollar notes and 5,000,000 five dollar notes arrived. Of the remainder, 700,000 one dollar notes and 500,000 five dollar notes were lost when the SS Automedon was captured and then scuttled on 11 November 1940, by the German raider Atlantis in the Indian Ocean approach to the Malacca Straits; and further 500,000 one dollar notes and 100,000 five dollar notes were lost when the carrying ship, the SS Eumanes, was sunk. As such, none of these notes were ever put into circulation by the Straits Settlement Government. Only the 10-dollar notes were issued for use in Malaya in March 1941.