Iraq's paper currency in 1940 was issued under the authority of the Iraqi government but managed through arrangements tied to the British-controlled Currency Board — a hangover from the mandate period that had formally ended in 1932. The timing matters: Britain was already at war, and Bradbury Wilkinson's London presses were under considerable strain serving multiple wartime currency contracts simultaneously.
The P#11 series is notable for its relative scarcity in higher circulated grades. Iraq's climate — extreme heat, humidity in the south, sand abrasion across most of the country — was punishing on paper currency, and few examples survived extended handling in presentable condition.
Iraq's paper currency in 1940 was issued under the authority of the Iraqi government but managed through arrangements tied to the British-controlled Currency Board — a hangover from the mandate period that had formally ended in 1932. The timing matters: Britain was already at war, and Bradbury Wilkinson's London presses were under considerable strain serving multiple wartime currency contracts simultaneously.
The P#11 series is notable for its relative scarcity in higher circulated grades. Iraq's climate — extreme heat, humidity in the south, sand abrasion across most of the country — was punishing on paper currency, and few examples survived extended handling in presentable condition.