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10 Yen US Military Currency - B-Note
| Issuer | Allied Military Authority (US) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1945 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Yen (1871-date) |
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| Obverse description | Printed in black on a light blue guilloche underprint with green overprint, the face carries the title legend 'MILITARY CURRENCY' in a dark panel across the top, flanked by ornate intaglio scrollwork vignettes at each side. A large letter 'B' is rendered in outline within the central guilloche field, identifying the series, with the denomination expressed in both Arabic numerals and Chinese characters (拾圓) in green at multiple positions. The alphanumeric serial number and 'SERIES 100' appear within the underprint, and a cartouche inscribed 軍票 (military scrip) is set at the bottom centre. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | ISSUED PURSUANT TO MILITARY PROCLAMATION 軍事布告に基き發行す (Translation: Issued pursuant to military proclamation) |
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| Comments |
The B-yen notes were issued by U.S. occupation authorities following Japan's surrender in August 1945, replacing the wartime military yen and circulating alongside — then gradually displacing — the existing Bank of Japan notes. The "B" designation distinguished them from the earlier Type A military currency used during Pacific operations. Printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, they were legal tender throughout occupied Japan and accepted at a fixed rate of 15 yen to the dollar.
The series became a persistent headache for occupation finance officials. Black market exchange between B-yen and regular yen was rampant, and the notes were eventually demonetized in September 1948 as part of the broader effort to stabilize the Japanese economy ahead of the Dodge Line reforms.