Japanese government–issued rupee in Burma

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Japanese government–issued rupee in Burma
BUR-16-Japanese occupation Burma-10 rupees (1942-44).jpg
Rs. 10/- Japanese occupation note obverse (1942-44)
Unit
Pluralrupees
Symbol Re/Rs
Denominations
Subunit
1100 Cent
Plural
Cent cents
Banknotes1 cent, 5 cents, 10 cents, Re. 14, Re. 12, Re. 1/-, Rs. 5/-, Rs. 10/-, Rs. 100/-
Demographics
Date of introduction1942
Date of withdrawal1944
User(s) Flag of Burma 1943.svg Japanese-occupied Burma
Issuance
Central bank Empire of Japan
This infobox shows the latest status before this currency was rendered obsolete.

The Japanese government-issued rupee in Burma was a Japanese invasion money issued by the Japanese Military Authority, as a replacement for local currency during the Japanese occupation of Burma in the Second World War.

Contents

Prior to the Japanese invasion, Burma had circulated the Indian rupee issued by the Reserve Bank of India [1] from the time the paper currency was introduced by the British Administration in 1897. [2]

The Japanese invaded Burma in January 1942. They conquered Mandalay on 21 May 1942, forcing the British to retreat into India. The Japanese held Burma until the second Allied campaign of 1944, although an official surrender did not take place until August 1945. In 1942, the Japanese issued paper sculpture currency of 1, 5, and 10 cents and Re. 14, Re. 12, Re. 1/-, Rs. 5/-, and Rs. 10/-. Like most Japanese colonial currency from this period, a letter code was used on the notes. The first or top letter “B” indicates the note was printed and issued for Burma. The second letter or letters indicate the block (or printing batch) of the note, there are single letter blocks and double letter blocks for Burma, with the latter two letter blocks being identified by a hyphen separating the letter "B" from the block letters.

In 1943, the Japanese commuted the sentence of Dr Ba Maw, an outspoken advocate for Burmese self-rule, and installed him as the head of the puppet government. From 1943 onward the Japanese issued paper sculpture currency of Re. 1/-, Rs. 5/-, and Rs. 10/- with a Rs. 100 note/- in 1944. The Japanese characters in the oblong box at the bottom of each note read “Government of Great Imperial Japan” and the contents of the seal comprise the Japanese symbol for the Minister of Finance.

When all of these notes became obsolete, punch holes were made to indicate that the note had been "cancelled" and therefore demonetised.


Japanese government-issued rupee in Burma (1942–44)

1942–44 complete issue of Japanese invasion money (Burma)
ImageValueSizeIssue date [3] Printing blocks [3] Images [3]
BUR-9b-Burma-Japanese Occupation-One Cent ND (1942).jpg 1 cent95.00 x 45.00 mm1942BA–BP, B/AA–B/EX
BUR-10b-Burma-Japanese Occupation-Five Cents ND (1942).jpg 5 cents100.00 x 48.00 mmBA–BZ, B/AB–B/BX
BUR-11a-Burma-Japanese Occupation-10 Cents ND (1942).jpg 10 cents106.00 x 51.00 mmBA–BZ, B/AA–B/AR
BUR-12a-Burma-Japanese Occupation-One Quarter Rupee ND (1942).jpg Quarter rupee100.00 x 51.00 mmBA–BV
BUR-13b-Burma-Japanese Occupation-One Half Rupee ND (1942).jpg Half rupee120.00 x 58.00 mmBA–BD Ananda Temple, Bagan
BUR-14-Burma-Japanese Occupation-One Rupee ND (1942).jpg Re. 1/-140.00 x 67.00 mm
BUR-15b-Burma-Japanese Occupation-Five Rupees ND (1942-44).jpg Rs. 5/-151.00 x 71.00 mm1942–44BA–BB
BUR-16-Japanese occupation Burma-10 rupees (1942-44).jpg Rs. 10/-160.00 x 76.00 mmBA
BUR-17b-Burma-Japanese Occupation-100 Rupees ND (1944).jpg Rs. 100/-169.00 x 82.00 mm1944

For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

Japanese government-issued rupee in India (1942–44)

During the World War II, Subhas Chandra Bose led Indian National Army (INA) seized Mizoram and parts of Nagaland in British India from the colonial British control with the help of Japanese forces. He made Ruzazho village operational base of INA, recruited more than thousand natives of Nagaland in INA to fight against British, banned the British Indian rupee and "Japanese government–issued rupee in Burma", also called Japanese rupee, was introduced. [4]

See also

References

  1. Cuhaj 2010, p. 174.
  2. Cuhaj 2010, p. 173.
  3. 1 2 3 Cuhaj 2010, pp. 886–88.
  4. Did Bose hide in Nagaland? People remember a bearded ‘North Indian’ with Gandhi spectacles, The Print, 27 noc 2023.

Works cited