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1 Pound
| Issuer | Kingdom of Libya |
|---|---|
| Year | 1952 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Bradbury Wilkinson and Company, United Kingdom (1856-1990) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Printed in steel-blue intaglio on a pale ground, the reverse is dominated by two large lobed guilloche rosettes flanking a central panel, all set within an elaborate arabesque border with interlacing geometric ornaments. The denomination 'ONE LIBYAN POUND' is inscribed in bold letterpress at centre, surmounted by 'KINGDOM OF LIBYA' and the legal tender clause, with the date '1ST JANUARY, 1952.' at the base of the central panel. Corner numerals '1' appear at each angle within decorative cartouches. |
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| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | King Idris I portrait, visible in the blank areas of the note when held to light. |
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| Comments |
Libya's first national currency series was issued just months after independence in December 1951, making these notes among the earliest expressions of the newly unified kingdom — a federation of three former Italian colonial territories under Idris I. The Pound was introduced at parity with the pound sterling, a politically significant anchor given the country's heavy dependence on British and American financial support at the time.
Bradbury Wilkinson's work on this series is competent without being showy — the firm had a long history printing colonial and post-colonial issues for British-adjacent territories. Pick 16 is the 1 Pound value from the inaugural Libyan Currency Committee series, predating the establishment of the National Bank of Libya in 1955, which would supersede the Currency Committee and eventually issue its own notes.