1 Dollar Malayan dollar (Japanese invasion currency)
P-M5c
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IMG_7245.HEIC
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IMG_7246.HEIC
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Where & when
What's on the note
Front: Tropical palm trees flanking a central vignette area, representing the Southeast Asian territories under Japanese military occupation during World War II. This design was part of the standardized Japanese Invasion Money (JIM) issued across occupied territories to facilitate military administration and economic control. The front features guilloche patterns and the denomination '10' in four corners, with tropical palm imagery symbolizing the region.
Back: Text reading 'THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT / PROMISES TO PAY THE BEARER ON DEMAND / ONE DOLLAR' with 'MS' (Malaya/Singapore) overprint on both sides, indicating this note was specifically issued for circulation in Malaya and Singapore. Decorated with tropical foliage including palm fronds, banana plants, and papaya fruit motifs. Japanese characters '大日本帝国政府' (Dai Nippon Teikoku Seifu - Government of the Great Empire of Japan) appear at bottom center. The denomination '1' appears in circular guilloche patterns at left and right.
How it was made
Where in the world
Geography unknown for Japan (Japanese-occupied Malaya).
Background & history
This note is part of the Japanese Invasion Money (JIM) series issued during World War II for use in Japanese-occupied Malaya, Singapore, North Borneo, Sarawak, and Brunei from 1942 to 1945. Following the Japanese invasion of Malaya in December 1941 and the fall of Singapore in February 1942, the Imperial Japanese Army introduced this military scrip to replace British-administered currencies. The 'MS' overprint specifically designates this note for Malaya and Singapore territories. These notes were printed in large quantities with minimal security features and became virtually worthless after Japan's surrender in August 1945, contributing to severe hyperinflation in occupied territories. The notes were demonetized immediately upon British reoccupation. Today they are common collectibles from the Pacific War period. The design deliberately avoided Japanese imperial symbols while incorporating tropical motifs to appear locally relevant. Pick catalogues this series extensively with multiple letter suffixes denoting varieties.
Collector references
How it came to me
Note shows visible circulation wear with creases, slight discoloration/staining, and edge wear. Paper remains intact with no major tears. Typical circulated condition for wartime invasion currency.
What it's worth now
Valuation history (1)
| date | low | high | currency | source | note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-10 07:16:17 | 2.0 | 10.0 | USD | ai | from claude-sonnet-4-5 |
History & extractions
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