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1 Pound 1950, Jamaica

in Krause book Number: 41b
Years of issue: 15.06.1950
Edition: 3 256 858
Signatures: Chairman of the Commissioners of Currency: Mr. Robert Newton
Serie: 1940 Issue
Specimen of: 01.11.1940
Material: 100% raw cotton
Size (mm): 138 x 77
Printer: TDLR (Thomas de la Rue & Company), London

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1 Pound 1950

Description

Watermark:

watermark

Pineapple.

Avers:

1 Pound 1950

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.

Denominations in numerals are in all corners and on the right side. Centered, at the top, in words.

Revers:

1 Pound 1950

Top, centered, is the coat of arms.

coat of arms

The coat of arms was first granted to Jamaica in 1661. Designed by William Sandcroft, the then Archbishop of Canterbury, it shows a male and female Taino Indian, standing on either side of the shield, which bears a red cross with five golden pineapples superimposed on it. The crest is a Jamaican crocodile surmounting the royal helmet and mantlings. The original Latin motto Indus Uterque Serviet Uni was changed to one in English: "Out of Many, One People" in 1962, the year of Jamaica's independence.

Denominations are on the right and left sides.

Comments:

In 1904, the Currency Notes Law was passed "constituting a Board of Commissioners to issue notes called currency notes for the value of 10 shillings each." This law was amended by Law 17 of 1918 which authorized "the issue of currency notes for such denominations as may be approved…" The Commissioners of Currency issued the first notes under these laws on 15 March 1920, in the denominations of 2/6, 5/- and 10/-. They bore the portrait of King George V and the signature of C.C. Anderson, who was then Island Treasurer.

It was the scarcity of silver coins of the lower denominations which made it necessary for these notes to be issued. Only the smaller denominations were issued as the chartered banks operating in Jamaica were still issuing 1 and 5 pound notes. However, the 2/6 note was destined to have a very short life as it was withdrawn from circulation in 1922.

The Currency Notes Law of 1937 gave additional responsibilities to the Board of Commissioners and in 1940 they began issuing 1 and 5 pound notes. Although Queen Elizabeth II became the British monarch in 1952, the first note to bear her portrait was the 5-pound note issued on 17 March 1960 and which carried the signature of E. R. Richardson, chairman of the Commissioners of Currency.