1948 Emergency Notes

The American Bank Note Company (ABNC) was awarded a contract to produce Israel's 1st banknote issue. It consisted of 5 notes - 500 Mils, 1 Pound, 5 Pounds, 10 Pounds and 50 Pounds. The Bank also contracted with Shoshani Printers in Tel-Aviv to prepare a set of Emergency notes for temporary use in the event the 'official' currency notes did not arrive in Israel by August 1948. The below notes had been printed, serial numbered and were "ready for circulation" if necessary. The ABNC notes were however delivered on time and the temporary notes were never used. According to the SCWPM except for a small number all notes were destroyed in October 1948. Yigal Arkin in his book (2001) "People and Places on Banknotes of Israel" states that "11 complete sets of 500 Mil, 1, 5, and 10 Lira, as well as 57 single banknotes, are known to be held by museums and collectors worldwide". 500 Mils 1 Pound 5 Pounds 10 Pounds As is the usual practice Proof notes were also printed. If a 500 Mil Proof for the P-1 Emergency note was ever prepared it has never been seen. For many years the SWCPM reserved the P-5 catalog number for a 50 Pounds Emergency note, presumably because there was a 50 Pound note in the ABNC official series, but they never located one. The catalog number has been discontinued in recent editions of the SWCPM. A scan of what is believed to be the Proof 50 Pounds was recently received at the website. Is it? If yes then was there ever a P-5 Emergency note? If you can add any information on these elusive notes please send it to the Webmaster. The following are the unissued Proof notes 1 Pound 5 Pounds 10 Pounds 50 Pounds