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10 Shillings 1944, South Africa

in Krause book Number: 82d
Years of issue: 06.04.1944
Edition:
Signatures: Governor President: Dr. Johannes Postmus ( 01.01.1932 - 30.06.1945)
Serie: 1928 - 1947 Issue
Specimen of: 01.09.1928
Material: 100% raw cotton
Size (mm): 133 x 77
Printer: Local print, South Africa

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10 Shillings 1944

Description

Watermark:

watermark

On the right side is Jan van Riebeeck or Bartholomeus Vermuyden)

Jan van Riebeeck (21 April 1619 - 18 January 1677).

The Dutch colonial administrator and founder of Cape Town. In 1651 he volunteered to undertake the command of the initial Dutch settlement in the future South Africa. He landed three ships (Dromedaris, Reijger and Goede Hoop) at the future Cape Town on 6 April 1652 and fortified the site as a way-station for the VOC trade route between the Netherlands and the East Indies. The primary purpose of this way-station was to provide fresh provisions for the VOC fleets sailing between the Dutch Republic and Batavia, as deaths en route were very high. The Walvisch and the Oliphant arrived later in 1652, having had 130 burials at sea.

Van Riebeeck was Commander of the Cape from 1652 to 1662; he was charged with building a fort, with improving the natural anchorage at Table Bay, planting cereals, fruit and vegetables and obtaining livestock from the indigenous Khoi people. In the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town there are a few Wild Almond trees still surviving. The initial fort, named Fort de Goede Hoop (Fort of Good Hope) was made of mud, clay and timber, and had four corners or bastions. This fort was replaced by the Castle of Good Hope, built between 1666 and 1679 after van Riebeeck had left the Cape.

watermark

On the left side is one of three ships of Van Riebeeck.

Avers:

10 Shillings 1944

Denominations in numerals and words are in all corners. Centered in words (in English and Afrikaans).

Revers:

10 Shillings 1944

Coat of arms of Union of South Africa.

coat union of south africa

The first coat of arms was granted by King George V by Royal Warrant on 17 September 1910. This was a few months after the formation of the Union of South Africa.

It was a combination of symbols representing the four provinces (formerly colonies) that made up the Union.

The first quarter is the figure of Hope, representing the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope.

The two wildebeests of the second quarter represent Colony of Natal.

The orange tree in the third quarter was used as the symbol of the Orange Free State Republic.

The wagon in the fourth quarter represented the Transvaal.

The supporters are taken from the arms of the Orange River Colony and the Cape Colony.

The lion holds four rods, bound together, symbolizing the unification of the four former colonies.

The motto "Ex Unitate Vires" was officially translated as "Union is Strength" until 1961, and thereafter as "Unity is Strength".

Denominations in words are lower and above the coat of arms, in English and Afrikaans.

Comments:

The government of the Cape of Good Hope issued a 1 pound note in 1835 and a 20 pound note in 1834. Between 1869 and 1872, the ZAR in Transvaal issued notes for 6 pence, 1, 2½, 5 and 10 shillings, 1, 5 and 10 pond. The National Bank of the ZAR issued 1 pond notes between 1892 and 1893. During the Second Boer War, government notes were issued in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 pond.

In 1920, Treasury gold certificate notes were issued in denominations of 1, 5, 100, 1000 and 10,000 pounds. From 1921, the South African Reserve Bank took over the issuance of paper money, introducing notes for 10 shillings, 1, 5, 20 and 100 pounds. 20 pound notes were last issued in 1933, with 10 pound notes added in 1943.

All banknotes were bilingual in English and Afrikaans. From 1948, two variants of each note were issued, one with English written first and the other with Afrikaans written first.