MISSING H's

Luckily H is a fairly uncommon letter for countries so there is only 1 country missing from this section.  HEJAZ a Provence of Saudi Arabia and only produced notes in 1924 (1343 in the Islamic calendar)

The Islamic calendar:

How to work out the year:


Years are counted since the Hijra, that is, Prophet Mohammed's (Peace be upon him) migration to Medina, which is assumed to have taken place 16 July C.E. 622 (Julian calendar). On that date AH 1 started (AH = Anno Hegirae = year of the Hijra).

Note that although only 2013 - 622 = 1391 years have passed in the Christian calendar, 1434 years have passed in the Islamic calendar, because its year is consistently shorter (by about 11 days) than the tropical year used by the Christian calendar.

HUNGARY

 The Hungarian Republic is a country in Central Europe with a capital city of Budapest.Hungary was part of the huge Austro-hungarian empire until the end of WWI when it was broken up and then at the End of WWII became a communist state in the warsaw pact countries.In 1956 the Hungarian revolution took place which was brutally suppressed by the soviet union.1990 saw the first multi-party elections and in 1999 joined NATO followed by joining the EU in 2004.

Monetary units:1 Forint = 100 filler

The First Note above is the 500 Forint note from 2005 sporting Ferenc Rakoczi II and Sarospatak castle on the reverse. Next is the 100 Forint note of 1993 with Lajos Kossuth, on the front and a scene from "took refuge from the storm" by Karoly Lotz. finally the 50 Forint from 1983, the front has Ferenc Rakoczi II again with a battle scene between the Kuruc and the Austrian Labanc.

A few years ago a few friends and myself went to Budapest and spent a pleasant week in the snow. we went to a park outside budapest where they had taken loads the soviet era statues and dumped them in a park, they then turned it into a tourist attraction !! The other thing we saw was the Museum of Terror, which was dedicated to remembering all the repression of both the Nazis and Communists, what I found strange was that the Nazis only merited one small room where as the communists had 4 floors dedicated to them but then I suppose the communist regime is more recent in the minds of Hungarians.

HONG KONG

Hong Kong is a former British Colony which is now a special administrative region of China.The British  occupied Hong Kong in 1841. an agreement signed in 1984 gave Hong Kong back to the Chinese in 1997. under the "one country, two systems" Hong Kong has a certain amount of autonomy in most things except foreign and defense matters.

Monetary units: 1 Dollar = 100 cents

The Note above is the 10 dollar note from the Standard Chartered Bank, from 1991. It has a mythical carp on the front with the bank building and coat of arms on the reverse.

Similar to the British system of issuing notes, Hong Kong does not have a central bank but has a series of banks allowed to issue banknotes

The Note above is unusual in two ways, first it is a very small note (3 1/2 x 1 3/4 in , 90 x 42mm) and also it is Uniface, meaning that the reverse is blank. This note is from the 1981-86 issue .

HONDURAS

The Republic of Honduras is a central American country with its capital city as Tegucigalpa. Honduras gained independence from Spain in 1821. After 25 years of military rule, a freely elected government was installed in 1982. In the 1980's Honduras was a safe haven for right wing forces fighting the government of Sandinista Nicaragua and aided the Salvadorian government to fight the left wing guerrillas.

Monetary Units: 1 lempira = 100 centavos

The Note above is the 1 Lempira note from 1998 which has Lempira, a lenca ruler, on the right of the note and the ruins of Copan on the reverse.

HAITI

The Republic of Haiti is a country that occupies one third of the island of Hispaniola, the other 2/3rds being Dominican republic. the capital city is Port au Prince. The island was inhabited by the Taino Amerindians when Columbus first landed in 1492 and we all but exterminated within 25 years.Spain ceded the western third of the island to the french in 1697. the country became one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean primarily on the back of slavery.In the late 18th century the country's half a million slaves revolted under Toussaint  L'Ouverture. After a long struggle, in 1804, Haiti was the first Black republic to become independent. The US occupied Haiti from 1915 - 34 followed in 1957 by the start of the Duvallier dictatorship starting with "Papa Doc" and then his son "Bebe Doc". In December 1990, the former priest Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected President in the Haitian general election, winning more than two thirds of the vote. In 2004 a revolt began in northern Haiti. The rebellion eventually reached the capital; and Aristide was forced into exile, whereupon the United Nations stationed peacekeepers in Haiti.  The 2010 Haiti earthquake left up to 316,000 people dead and 1.6 people homeless which continues to this day.

Monetary unit: 5 Gourdes = 1 US Dollar

The note above is the 1 Gourde  from 1992 with Toussaint L'Ouverture on the front and the coat of arms on the reverse.

MISSING "G's"

Although we have listed 21 countries beginning with G there are a few missing, all of them are pre-1960 issues.

German new guinea (now part of Papua New Guinea)

German south west Africa (now Namibia)

Gilbert and Ellice islands (now Kiribati and Tuvalu)

Grenada

GUYANA

The co-operative Republic of Guyana is an independent member of the Commonwealth of nations and was formerly British Guiana. its capital city is Georgetown. Guyana became independent from Britain in 1966. prior to 1815 it had been a Dutch colony. Since independence the country has had socialist leaning governments.

Monetary Units:
1 Joe = 22 guilders ( up to 1836)
1 dollar = 2 shillings 4 pence (1837 - 1965)
1 dollar = 100 cents ( 1966 onward)

British Caribbean Currency Board notes circulated between 1950 - 1965.

the note above is a 100 dollar ($) note from 1999 (ND) with the map on the front and St. Georges Cathederal - one of the tallest wooden churches in the world, on the reverse.

The note above is a pre-independence  one dollar note from 1942, with the kaieteur falls on the front and King George VI on the Reverse

GUINEA-BISSAU

The Republic of Guinea - Bissau is a former Portuguese colony on the west coast of africa with its capital city as Bissau. Guinea - Bissau was part of the Mali empire until the 19th century when it became a colony of Portugal  it gained independence in 1974 and added the capital city's name to the country's to stop any confusion with the neighbouring state of Guinea.

monetary units:

1 peso = 100 centavos (1975 - 97)
1 franc = 65 pesos (1997 onward)

The two notes above are both from the 1990 issue. the 100 Pesos note has Domingo Ramos , a freedom fighter, on the front and the national bank building on the reverse. whereas the 50 pesos note  has Pansau na isna on the front with a village scene on the reverse.

GUINEA

The Republic of Guinea, formerly French Guinea, is a country on the west coast of africa and its capital city is Conakry. Guinea gained it's independence from France in 1958. in 2006/7 there was a series of general strikes against corruption in the electoral system and worsening economic climate.

Monetary units:
1 Franc = 100 centimes ( to 1971)
1 Syli = 10 Francs (1971-80)
1 franc = 100 centimes (1980 onward)

This note is the 2006, 500 franc note in a fairly unusual green colour. The water mark is the same as the picture of the woman on the front left of the note.

GUERNSEY

The Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency situated in the channel isles of the coast of Normandy, France. It is a collection of islands with a capital city of St. Peter Port. Guernsey was the only part of Britain Occupied by Germany in WWII.As a British Crown Dependency, Britain is  responsible for the foreign policy and international relations of the island group but Guernsey is not part of the United Kingdom (UK).

Monetary unit:

1Pound = 20 Shillings = 240 pence (up to 1971)
1 pound = 100 pence (1971 onward)
British pound sterling is legal tender as well.

This note is a 1 pound (£) note from the 1991 issue (signature M J Brown) which is similar to the 1980's issue but the note is slightly smaller. The gentleman on the reverse is Daniel de Lisle Brock, Bailiff of Guernsey (chief magistrate ), with the royal court of St. Peters Port in the background.

GUATEMALA

The Republic of Guatemala is a country in Central America with its capital as Guatemala city. The Mayan Civilisation populated this area for the first millennium A.D. then in 1821 Guatemala gained its independence from Spain after 3 centuries of colonisation.In 1996 the government signed a peace treaty that ended a 36 year guerrilla war.

Monetary unit: 1 Quetzal = 100 Centavos

here we have a 1 Quetzal note from 2006 featuring General Orellana, the president of the country in the 1920's, with a Mayan Tikal temple behind him and on the reverse is the bank of Guatemala building, with the Leyen stone (placa de Leyden) at the left.
This note has a few interesting features. First of all it is made from a polymer material, the note also has a clear "see through" window (on the left of the front). the General's hair and parts of the temple are also textured and to the left (diagonally) to the general's chin is the letters BG , on this note, which can only be seen when held at an angle to the light.

GUADELOUPE

The french overseas department of Guadeloupe is an island that is part of the Leeward Islands of the West indies with a capital of Basse-terre. Columbus discovered Guadeloupe in 1493 and it's first settlers were two Frenchmen in 1635 but reverted to the french crown in 1674 and, apart from two brief British occupations, remained a colony of France until 1946 when it was made an overseas territory and finally an overseas department in 1958.

Monetary unit: 1 Franc = 100 Centimes
                      1 Nouveau Franc = 100 old Francs (1960 onward)

The note above is the 1947-49 (ND) issue of the 5 Franc Note with the word Bougainville printed at the lower mid point of the front of the note which refers to the gentleman in the wig, Louis Antoine de Bougainville.a french explorer and an admiral. you can also see his rather grand ship. On the reverse is a lady with some of the island's produce.

I've refrained from waxing lyrically about the artwork but this is another fine example of the brilliant artwork that went onto french notes !!

GREENLAND

Greenland is the largest island in the world and is a part of Denmark. It's capital is Nuuk (Godthab). Although Greenland had been colonized by Denmark since the 18th Century, it officially became part of Denmark in 1953. It Joined the EU with Denmark in 1973 but withdrew in 1985 over fishing quotas. Greenland was granted self government in 1980 but Denmark still retains control of it's foreign affairs.

Monetary unit: 1 krone = 100 ore.

OK! this is cheating a wee bit!! the scan above is not of a Greenland note but of a Trade certificate. I've seen a few Greenland notes for sale on eBay but they generally sell for hundreds of pounds so i have to make do with the Trade certificate !!

GREECE

The Hellenic Republic of Greece is a country on the south west tip of Europe with its capital City being Athens. Greece Gained its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1829. In 1940, during  WWII the Italians invaded followed by a German occupation which lasted until 1944.  A civil war then followed between the monarchists and the communists. Following the defeat of the Communists in 1949, Greece joined NATO in 1952.In 1981 Greece joined the EU and in 2001 joined the Eurozone.

Greece has its own alphabet which you can find here

Moetary unit: 1 Drachma = 100 Lepta (1841 - 2001)
                    1 Euro = 100 Cents (2001 onward)

This note is the 100 Drachmai note from 1978. The front of the note has the Goddess Athena and the reverse has Adamantios Korais, a humanist Scholar and the church of the Arkadi monastery in Crete to the right.

GREAT BRITAIN - MILITARY ISSUE

 

These notes were issues to the British military and were released through 6 issues. Originally issued in occupied Germany after WWII and then a few months later to occupied Japan. these notes were to be spent in the NAAFI 's (Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes). the six issues were as follows:

Series 1 = 1946
Series 2 = 1948
Series 3 = 1956
Series 4 = 1962 (but not issued )
Series 5 = only issued in specimen form
Series 6 = 1972 (two issues in that year)

The notes above are from various issues - 5p, 10p, and 50p are all from the 6th series (the only decimal issue) wheras the middle £1 is from the 4th, and the last two notes - £1 and £5 are from the 2nd issue

GREAT BRITAIN

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, to give it it's full name, comprises of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and was an imperial power throughout the 1500's, 1600's 1700's 1800's and up to the middle of the 20th century when many of it's colonies gained independence. Most of the former colonies joined the Commonwealth of Nations which has 54 member states at this time. Although the Bank of England issues the only legal tender (in England and Wales), Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes. British Money was decimalised in 1971 which took over from the Lsd (pounds shillings and pence) system which was introduced after the Norman conquests in 1066. Although Britain is a member of the European Union (EU) it has not adopted the Euro.

Monetary Unit:
1 Pound = 20 Shillings = 240 Pence ( up to 1971)
1 pound = 100 pence (1971 onward)

The old Lsd system came about because 240 silver pennies weighed 1 Lb (1 pound weight) so therefor there was 240 silver pennies to the pound (£) check out more history of British money here


Above are two versions of the 10 shilling note which was equal to 1/2 of a pound and called a 10 bob note. the top one has no date (ND) but the signature says that it is from the 1962-66 issue and has Britannia seated with a shield on the reverse. The bottom note is from 1955-60 issue , again with no date but with the L.K.O'Brien signature. These notes were replaced with a 50p coin after 1971.

The top 1 Pound note here, with the L.K.O'Brian signature is from 1960-61 issue again has no date  but has queen Elizabeth II on the front and Britannia on the reverse. while the bottom £1 note (front and reverse) is the £1 note from 1948-49 issue (signature K.O.Peppiatt).it was announced that £1 notes were to be withdrawn in 1986, in England and wales only, and replaced by £1 coins

 And above we have an example of a £5 pound note, this time with the reverse side. It is from the 1966-70 issue (signature J.S.Fforde) with Britannia on the reverse.

For Scottish notes see here

GIBRALTAR

The British colony of Gibraltar is located at the southern most tip of the Iberian peninsula between Spain and Morocco. Britain and Spain have disputed the sovereignty of the island but in 2002 the referendum held was overwhelmingly against Spanish sovereignty and in 2006 a 3 way agreement gave Gibraltar its own constitution, however, Britain is still responsible for defense  foreign relations, internal security and financial stability.

Monetary unit  1 pound = 20 shillings = 240 pence (up to 1971)
                      1 Pound = 100 pence (1971 onward)

The note above is a £1 (pound) note from 1988 with queen Elizabeth II on the front and the Covenant of Gibraltar on the reverse.

GHANA

The Republic of Ghana is a member of the British Commonwealth and is on the west coast of Africa between Togo and The Ivory Coast. Its capital is Accra. Ghana came about from a merger of the British Gold Coast and the territory of Togoland. it has the distinction of being the first Sub-saharan African country to gain independence, which it gained in 1957.

Monetary unit: 1 Cedi = 100 Pesewas

Ghana's monetary unit - Cedi is derived from the word "sedie" meaning "Cowrie" ( a monetary system used by tribal peoples using shells)

The note here is the 2003 , 1000 Cedi note which has jewels on the front and men harvesting cocoa pods on the reverse.

GERMAN FEDERAL REPUBLIC

In 1815 32 German states came together to form a federation. In 1871 Otto von Bismarck, the chancellor of Prussia formed the German empire with Wilhelm I at it head. As A result of the first world war the empire disintegrated and the Weimar republic was born. In 1933, economic depression led to Hilter setting up the Third Reich. After the second world war, Germany was split into 4 allied controlled areas and in 1949 the British, French and American areas were set up as the Federal Republic or West Germany, while the Russian controlled area was set up as the DDR or East Germany.
Reunification came in 1990 when East Germany ceased to exist. Germany is on of the main countries of the European Union and Of the Eurozone which came into effect in 2002.

Monetary unit:
1 Deutsche Mark = 100 Pfennigs (1949-2001)
1 Euro = 100 Cents (2002 onward)

The Notes:

The notes above are all pre 1930. the first one, from 1910, is the 1000 Mark note issued from Berlin. the second is a 20 mark note from 1914 - just 5 months before the outbreak of WWI. the 3rd is a 1919, 50 Mark note, this time 7 months after the WWI ended. The last two are the 10,000 mark and 50,000 mark notes from 1922 both from the era of German Hyperinflation. All these notes above are over-sized compared to our modern notes.

the two notes above are from the 1940's. The top one is a 50 Pfennig or 1/2 mark note from 1944, which is during WWII and the bottom one is from 1949, a 10 mark note from the newly constituted West Germany. the 1/2 mark is a small square note about half the size of a modern note whereas the 10 mark note is only marginally smaller than its modern equivalent.

This last two notes are from a specialised section of German notes , they are called Notgeld or emergency money. the first one is a reproduction of a 25 pfennig note from Altenkirchen in 192. Notgeld are best known to be used in Germany and Austria after the first world war. The second one has both front and back shown and is a 25 mark note from Bieldfeld in 1921. The interesting thing about this note is that it is made, not of paper, but of cotton. If you look carefully at the edges you can see the stitching that keeps it together. This one is probably in my top ten of my collection !!