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1 Rupie
| Issuer | Deutsch-Ostafrikanische Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1916 |
| 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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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | The obverse bears a small imperial eagle vignette at the upper left, approximately 20mm in height, with the denomination written by hand across the centre. Serial number appears at upper and lower right, with the letter prefix (L, M, or N) at left and right margins. The note lacks the "Gebucht von" text at left. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse carries bilingual text in German and Swahili affirming the note is guaranteed by the Imperial Government of German East Africa (Kaiserliches Gouvernement von Deutsch-Ostafrika). A penalty clause in German is printed at the lower portion, warning of imprisonment of no less than two years for forgery or passing forged notes. Guilloche ornamental borders frame the design at left and right edges, with the serial number repeated at upper and lower right and the letter prefix at the right margin. |
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| Comments |
Issued in German East Africa during the First World War, this note belongs to a series produced under extreme wartime siege conditions. With the colonial supply lines cut by the British naval blockade, the Deutsch-Ostafrikanische Bank could no longer obtain printed currency from Germany. Local emergency issues were authorized, printed on whatever materials were available — including, in some cases, reverse sides of maps and other repurposed stock.
P#18 is among the later 1916 issues produced as von Lettow-Vorbeck's force continued its improbable resistance across the interior. Surviving examples often show uneven ink distribution and irregular cut margins, artifacts of improvised colonial production rather than damage in circulation.