IS THIS A PRISONER OF WAR CURRENCY ?

This is quite an interesting note it is from (British) East Africa in that there are varying stories behind it the most accepted is that it was used in British POW camps in occupied  Italian Somaliland. Although Italian prisoners of war (POW) didn't remember them being used. Although British East Africa included Kenya, Zanzibar Tanganyika (Tanzania) and Uganda, its currency was  also used in British Somalian (NW part of modern Somalia) and the protectorate of Aden (now in Yemen)

The note is a 1 /- (shilling) note from the war period between 1940-1945 and is uniface (printed on one side only)

More East African notes HERE

ITALIAN EAST AFRICA

Italian East Africa was an Italian colony established in 1936. It was formed through the merger of Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea with the former Ethiopian Empire.

In August 1940, during the Second World War, British Somaliland was conquered and annexed to Italian East Africa, which in 1941 was itself conquered during the East African Campaign by a British-led force of combined British, including colonial, and Ethiopian units. British Somaliland, Italian Somaliland and Eritrea then came under British administration. In 1949 Italian Somaliland was reconstituted as the Trust Territory of Somalia, which was administered by Italy from 1950 until its independence in 1960. In 1951 Eritrea was annexed by Ethiopia.

This banknote is a 50 Lire note from 1939. These notes attract a  fairly high price , however, this one was laminated for some unexplainable reason but therefore  was much more affordable.




The flag of Italian East Africa