JAPANESE OCCUPATION MONEY
DURING WW2

visits since 25 June 2000

Did the Japanese Government plan to occupy Australia during World War 2? Were they so confident that they had gone to the extent of producing their own version of currency to be used in Australia? At that time, Australia used Pounds, Shillings and Pence as its currency.

The Japanese produced Occupation Money in a variety of notes such as Guilders, Pesos, Dollars and Pounds. The Pound notes had in fact been produced by the Japanese for use in the British Islands of the Pacific Ocean (not including Australia) and adjacent seas, including New Guinea, rather than as part of a "planned occupation" of Australia.

The images of the three notes shown below were scanned from notes sent to me by my friend Clinton Palmer of the 49th Fighter Group who has since passed away on 7 July 2000. He landed in Hollandia went back to a beach on 24 May 1944 to locate their equipment. There he met some fellows from the 1st Cavalry Division. It was here that the Japanese Occupation Money was recovered from the bodies of some dead Japanese soldiers on the beach.

One Pound Note

One Shilling Note

Half Shilling Note

Photo:- Mark T. Marcum

Japanese Government Philippines 10 Centavo Note that was brought home by
Cpl. Paul J. Ezell, grandfather of Mark T. Marcum. Cpl. Ezell was a military policeman.

Photo:- Mark T. Marcum

Reverse side of Japanese Government Philippines 10 Centavo Note

During their occupation of the Netherlands East Indies, the Japanese issued paper money apparently for use in that area. Those notes ranged from one cent up to ten Guilders. They featured the designation (in Dutch) "de Japansche Regeering." 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Clinton Palmer, Mark T. Marcum and Lindsay Peet for their assistance with this home page.

Heaps of WW2 books available at Amazon.com

"Australia @ War"

This page first produced 25 June 2000

This page last updated 06 August 2008