STRAITS SETTLEMENTS, MALAYA AND BRITISH BORNEO, MALAYA AND BRITISH ADMIN BOARD OF CURRENCY

Straits Settlements 1935 $1 KGV PMG 64  EPQ

There is nothing special about this banknote from the era of Straits Settlements but its "EPQ" designation from PMG make it stand out. It is extremely difficult to obtain EPQ for any Straits Settlements banknotes because of its "old age" and coupled with the tropical climate in Malaysia making it almost impossible to keep its condition pristine. You can only find the good ones from collectors in the United Kingdom. One must remember that once our forefathers were laborers mostly working in tin mines or as farmers with very low salary and could not afford to keep these banknotes as "collection" in their album (there was no such album existed).

This banknote was instantly sold when i listed it on Ebay Malaysia. The buyer bought from me without hesitation because of its rare "EPQ" designation.

Malaya & British Borneo 1953 $100 QE II PMG 30 NET

I couldn't afford to collect the 1953 $100 QE II in "UNC" condition hence i have to satisfy myself with VF condition as a consolation until the day come when i'm ready for an upgrade.

Malaya British Administration 1940 $10 (purple colour) KGVI PMG 20 NET 

This banknote was issued on 1940 before it was phased out by new currency in 1941 (red colour) hence making it very scarce and much sought after by collectors.

The first notes consigned by the Board of Commissioners of Currency Malaya were for the value of $1, $5 and $10 and dated 1st January 1940. Of these issues, a large quantity of $1 notes (1940 Green colour) and $5 notes (1940 blue colour) was despatched to Malaya before the Japanese invation on 8th December 1941 but were all seized by the Germans. 

When British forces reoccupied Singapore in Septemeber 1945, they found all the abandoned notes of this series (1940 series) except for a bundle of one thousand of the notes captured in Penang, in the vaults of the Japanese sub-treasury. Nevertheless, all stocks were destroyed in 1946, as it was feared that the notes seized by the Germans might be handed over to their Japanese allies, ready to be passed into circulation when the notes became current. There is no evidence of these notes ever reaching Malaya. During the Japanese Occupation, the Japanese government issued the famous banana notes to replace the Malayan dollar as legal tender.

British forces landed at Penang and Singapore on 3rd Septemeber 1945 and gradually reoccupied the whole of Malaya. It was decided that no value should be accorded to the Japanese banana money.

However the $10 1940 (purple colour) was uncompromised and eventually went into circulation after the war and remained legal tender until it was phased out by the new currency - 1941 $10 KGVI red colour. This banknote was in circulation for only a year.

Happy reading !

Andrew