10 Shillings - George V

Cyprus came under British administration in 1878 and formal annexation followed in 1914, triggered by the Ottoman Empire's alignment with Germany. This note was issued that same year — the timing was not coincidental. Britain needed a functioning currency instrument for the island almost immediately after annexation was declared in November 1914, and De La Rue, already the preferred security printer for British colonial territories, supplied the series.

The George V designation reflects the regnal attribution rather than a fresh design commission — colonial note series of this period frequently recycled plate architecture across territories, updating only the issuing authority text and denomination.