Military currency and occupation money are money provided for the use of military personnel serving in occupied territory. Depending on circumstances, military currency can be provided by an aggressor or a liberator and take a variety of forms for use by military and / or local populations. In the case of Hawaii in WWII military currency was swapped for the US dollars on the island in preparation for a possible Japanese invasion. This pre-empted the possibility of Japan gaining control of all the US dollars in Hawaii since 'greenbacks' were internationally negotiable - ie accepted in most countries and so potentially an economic windfall to Japan. Many countries including Japan, Germany, Austria, the United States of America, and Britain have produced military currency during conflicts between WWII and Vietnam. The equivalent to military currency now used by military personnel serving overseas is the value-added charge card.

These examples for Japan are Military Currency produced for the use of allied troops and the local Japanese population at the end, and in the period immediately after WWII (Pick 1994: 751). They were used in Okinawa till 1958 (Pick 1994: 751).

Paul Donnelly
Curator, history of design and society
January 2008

Refs:
Standard Catalog of World Paper Money - Seventh Edition, volume 2, General issues, 1994
http://www.frbsf.org/currency/stability/history/index.html

Initially printed in the USA.

Refs:
Pick, Albert - Standard Catalog of World Paper Money - Seventh Edition, volume 2, General issues, 1994, 65; 67.a, p. 750.

Military Currency or Occupation Money is currency provided for the use of military personnel serving in occupied territory. Depending on circumstances military currency can be provided by an aggressor or by a liberator and many countries including Japan, Germany, the United States of America and Britain have produced military currency. These examples for Japan are Military Currency produced for the use of allied troops and the local Japanese population (Pick 1994: 751) at the end, and in the period immediately after WWII. They were used in Okinawa till 1958 (Pick 1994: 751).

The donor of these notes was prompted to give them to the Powerhouse Museum by virtue of his relationship to Major H.P. (Pat) Boland, numismatic curator (and later consultant) at this Museum from 1961 to 2006.

Allied military currency (2), 50 Sen and 1 Yen, paper, maker unknown, made in United States of America, 1945, used by Allied troops and local Japanese, Japan, 1945-1958

Two paper notes used as allied military currency in Japan, square in shape, denominations of 50 Sen and 1 Yen. Both from the 100 series. All notes have text incorporated as part of their design.

Square paper note printed on both sides, 1 Yen. Obverse printed in black, blue and green. Text; ' MILITARY CURRENCY / A 14625639 A / ONE YEN / SERIES 100'. '1' on top and bottom right and 'B' on top right and bottom left. On reverse is a design of leaves, printed in brown. Text; 'ISSUED PURSUANT TO MILITARY PROCLAMATION'.

Square paper note printed on both sides, 50 Sen. Obverse printed in black and blue. Text; 'MILITARY CURRENCY / A 15165416 A / FIFTY SEN / SERIES 100'. '50 SEN' on top and bottom right, 'B' on top right and bottom left. On reverse is a design of leaves, printed in brown. Text; 'ISSUED PURSUANT TO MILITARY PR'.

Made: United States of America; 1945


Used: Japan; 1945 - 1958

See part records for details.

2008/65/5

1945

66 mm

78 mm