The "Problematic" Malayan Banknotes of 1940 & 1941?

Article from The Straits Times 24 March 1940.

It took about a year later to issue the Malayan $10 banknote and I believe that it was the plum coloured 1940 $10 Malayan banknote. I stand corrected.      

                                                                                                                                            

Article from The Straits Times 29 March 1941.

This letter was sent to and published in The Straits Times of 29 March 1941, it is self-explanatory.

I wonder if during that time the Malayan public knew that a large consignment of the $1 & $5 Malayan banknotes dated 1st January 1940 were lost when the carrying ships "SS Automedon and SS Eumanes" were either sunk or captured by the German raiders in late 1940. (This paragraph of certain ships SS Eumanes & Automedon carrying the 1940 banknotes cannot be proven and regretfully the numismatic folks have been misled either intentionally or unintentionally....I will blog about it upon my returning to this blog end 2016)

By Mid December of 1941, after the Imperial Japanese Army had captured Penang, more of the 1940 series banknotes fell into enemy hands.The following article was published in the local newspaper, still with the intention of wanting to put the 1940 series $1 & $5 banknotes into circulation.  

Article from The Straits Times 23 December 1941

When British forces re-occupied Singapore in September 1945, some of the 1940 series $1 & $5 banknotes were found except for one bundle of one thousand pieces. In order to prevent these and those captured by the German raiders being passed into circulation when the notes become current, all stocks of 1940 $1 & $5 banknotes were destroyed and declared Non Legal Tender.
(Some information extracted from Paper Currency of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei - William Shaw and Mohd Kassim)


Gradually, the 1940 $10 was also taken out of circulation and a new series of Malaya banknotes dated 1st July 1941 were introduced. These were airfreighted into Singapore as mentioned below in The Straits Times dated 6 November 1948.

Food For Thought:


Extracted from The Straits Times 23 February 1953

Double Your Money??



The Straits Times dated 2 March 1954

   I wonder if anyone has tried to cash this type of split money, can it be done with present day note?
                           'Free board and lodging' will be provided................... if caught! ;-)

The Straits Times dated 10 Sept 1945

The following King George VI banknotes were acquired mainly from auctions and overseas dealers of which one was my very first piece bought on 17 June 1978 and it cost me S$4.50, how I wish that I had bought more at that time.

                         Set of running numbers bought 'donkey' years back from a RARE good and honest part time local dealer.

                                            PDJ, I'm sure you know who you know are!

                            Could this piece be considered as Radar numbers? Nice Prefix though!

         This printing of this note is off centre, thereby leaving a wider than usual margin on the left.

This note's serial numbers has been printed out of alignment, touching the King's vignette and also the lower border surrounding the BCCM name.

Ahhhhh! at last a normal standard piece :)

Money Face we've heard!,,,,,,,..but moneyQueen??

             This article appeared in The Straits Times dated 11th March 1952.




The Straits Times 30th Jan 1954

 


The Straits Times 8th April 1954





 



According to the Straits Times article(8 April) mentioned above, it was implied that the colour of the new $100 currency note is predominantly blue. I wonder????



I wonder then what is the predominantly colour of the $50 note?

The Straits Times 8th Dec 1954

One of my favourite sets, although the condition leaves much to be desired.

 



The Straits Times 23 Aug 1955

  
 





The Straits Times 23 Aug 1955





 

This series will be the last the British Monarchy will ever be featured in any of the Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore currency notes.

The Unique Buffalo or Duit Kerbau 1961 $10

The Straits Times 22 Nov 1960

Apparently, the Commissioners decided to issue only the $10 denomination after the $1 series.

The Straits Times 27 Nov 1961

The Straits Times 28 Nov 1961

The common small 'A' prefixes

                                  

The scarce large 'A' prefix      

                                                                  The rare 'B' prefix

I understand that after these series were demonetised, the local population uses them to burn as monetary offerings during the Chinese Seven Month festival and funerals. Hence, their rarity and the high prices that these notes can command.