Ask Me Help Desk - WWII Era Foreign Currency

I have just found a jar with some WWII era paper money. Here are their description:

Japanese Government "5&10 Pesos" bills. The 5 bills have serial numbers on them, but the 10s don't. The 5 bills have some kind of monument on them; the ten bills have a jungle scene on them. They both have Japanese and English script on them.
No date on either.

French 5 Francs bill; very small 4"x4"; dated Serie DE 1944. On the back is a French flag with the words "Liberte', Egalite', Fraternite'.

Italian Lire bills; 50 lire bill, no date, serial # I354 2192, reversed on the bottom; 10 lire bill, a man in uniform on one side, a roman soldier on the other side, serial# 0203 703918reversed on the bottom; Allied Military Currency 10 lire bill Series of 1943A,
Serial # A93620591A.

Canadian 1954 dollar bill.

All are in fair shape, the military currency is all most mint.

Are these worth anything?

Quote:

Originally Posted by InspMO

I have just found a jar with some WWII era paper money. Here are their description:

Japanese Government "5&10 Pesos" bills. The 5 bills have serial numbers on them, but the 10s don't. The 5 bills have some kind of monument on them; the ten bills have a jungle scene on them. They both have Japanese and English script on them.
No date on either.

French 5 Francs bill; very small 4"x4"; dated Serie DE 1944. On the back is a French flag with the words "Liberte', Egalite', Fraternite'.

Italian Lire bills; 50 lire bill, no date, serial # I354 2192, reversed on the bottom; 10 lire bill, a man in uniform on one side, a roman soldier on the other side, serial# 0203 703918reversed on the bottom; Allied Military Currency 10 lire bill Series of 1943A,
serial # A93620591A.

Canadian 1954 dollar bill.

All are in fair shape, the military currency is all most mint.

Are these worth anything?

I too found some of this money. A ten (jungle) and 100 pesos (monument ). My research found that they are 1942 WWII Japanese Occupation War Currency. Can't find a value.

I also have paper money from Morocco, China, Algeria and Curaçao. From 1938 - 47. Probably from a soldiers WWII tour. Can't seem to find good source on line to value these. I'm heading for the library.

The library would be a good place to look. Even though we might like to think so, not everything is available online.

I did find a couple of pieces of information that might be worth a read, though.

From: The Columbus Dispatch - Local/State

Quote:

World War II money has little value
Sunday, February 06, 2005

Dear Mr. Stebinsky: I would like to know whether Japanese paper money received after World War II is worth anything. I also would like information about a 1943 Australian shilling.

J.H. Logan

Dear Mr. Stebinsky: I have two pieces of paper money from World War II. One is a 100-peso note issued by the Japanese government. The other is an Australian 1-pound note with a man shearing sheep on the back.

P.C. Mount Gilead

Dear Mr. Stebinsky: This note was found on Okinawa in 1950. I have often wondered whether it has any value. It is a Philippine 1-peso note Series No. 66 that has the word VICTORY in large letters across the back.

T.C. Reynoldsburg

Dear Readers: The 100-peso Japanese-government note was issued for use in occupied Philippines.

When Japan conquered a country during World War II, it confiscated all the gold and silver and issued paper money. The paper circulated by Japanese decree but was backed by nothing. When the war ended, the money lost all value.

Military personnel brought the worthless bills home as souvenirs. The bills turn up so often and in such profusion that few dealers bother with them. Dealers that sell them typically price them at a dime or a quarter.

When the United States retook the islands, it issued paper money similar to the type circulated before the war only with VICTORY overprinted on the back. Victory bills were issued in 1944, withdrawn from circulation in 1957 and demonetized in 1967. At that point they became worthless as paper money.

Victory bills are common and worth little. They usually sell for $1 or less.

Australian 1-pound bills from the World War II-era are worth a bit more, but not much. Circulated ones run $2 to $5. Uncirculated ones, though, are worth $100 to $200.

Almost 20 million 1-shilling Australian coins were minted in Australia and the United States. They tend be valued mostly for their silver, about $1.

George Stebinsky

Here is the other information.

From: World War II Coins and Currency

Quote:

As the Japanese Empire spread out in the early days of World War II, the Japanese government issued special currency for the various nations and colonies they conquered. We are offering notes issued by the Imperial Japanese Government for the Philippines, Malaya, and Burma. The notes serve as a reminder for the failed exploits of the Japanese Imperial Armed Forces during World War II.
Item PM-JIM 7 DIFFERENT WWII JAPANESE INVASION NOTES, F-UNC. $4.50

Just one more note from me.

Almost always, old paper money does not have near the collectible value as coins do.