Catalog
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| Issuer | Government of Cyprus |
|---|---|
| Year | 1920 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | TWO SHILLINGS ISSUED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF CYPRUS ΔΥΟ ΣΕΛΙΝΙΑ ايكى شلين 2/s 1st March 1920 COMMISSIONER OF CURRENCY THOS. DE LA RUE & CO LTD LONDON |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | 2/s TWO SHILLINGS آش |
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| Comments |
Cyprus was a British protectorate from 1878 and a formal Crown Colony from 1925, but in 1920 it occupied an awkward constitutional middle ground — and its currency reflected that. The Government of Cyprus issued its own treasury notes rather than relying on any colonial currency board, a relatively unusual arrangement that gave local administration direct control over small-denomination paper.
De La Rue had held the Cyprus contract for years by this point. The 2 Shilling denomination served the low end of the paper money range, filling a gap between coin and higher-value notes in an island economy still heavily dependent on agricultural trade.