10 Shillings

The Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony notes of 1942 were emergency wartime issues, produced under circumstances far removed from normal colonial banking administration. Japanese forces occupied the Gilbert Islands from late 1941, and the colonial government was effectively displaced. These notes were authorized and issued by the remnant colonial authority partly to maintain some form of monetary order in areas still under Allied control — a practical measure rather than a systematic currency reform.

The embossed seal as the primary security feature reflects the extremely limited production resources available to a colonial government operating under wartime conditions. No major security printer was involved.