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.
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? The following are the unissued Proof notes |
Source
New Thoughts on Israel's First Banknotes
Edward Schuman
The Sheqel - AINA