Partisan Propaganda Notes
Some propaganda banknotes were produced by wartime partisan movements.
Many of these notes were produced by the use of a pen, scissors, rubber stamp or small
printing press and thus could easily be reproduced today by an informed amateur. Due to
the ease with which these dubious items can be reproduced, I would advise readers to be
careful when purchasing any of this material. Treat all notes with suspicion unless they
come from an old collection or from a trusted dealer who will vouch for their pedigree.
Partisan
Propaganda Notes – China
There were a great number of banknotes stamped with anti-Japanese slogans. The
Chinese partisans took the puppet bank currency and stamped remarks on it like "Do
not trade with the Japanese devils," "The Japanese are bastards,"
"Down with the Japanese military clique," and "Resist Japan, build the
nation." There are dozens of such notes with rubber-stamped and printed slogans. We
depict four such notes below.
Bank of Communications 1 yuan note of 1935
The Bank of Communications 1 yuan note of 1935 with partisan slogan,
“Resist Japan, rebuild the nation.”
Kwangtung Provincial Bank 2 chiao (20 cents)
Kwangtung Provincial Bank 2 chiao (20 cents) note of 1935 with partisan slogan,
"Down with the Japanese military clique." The slogan appears in various shades
and fonts, some appear rubber-stamped, others appear printed.
Central Bank of China 10 yuan
Central bank on front red horizontal OP Central Bank of China 10 yuan of
1936 with central slogan "Public interest convertible bond," and partisan slogan
at the four corners of the frame, "Resist the enemy, build the nation." The
overprints are found in various combinations of red and blue and known on at least three
Chinese banknotes.
Central Bank 50 Customs gold unit of 1930 with partisan slogan
Central Bank 50 Customs gold unit of 1930 with partisan slogan
"Resist the Japanese, Rebuild the nation." This slogan is found in red and blue,
in various shades and in various dimensions on at least three different Chinese banknotes.
OSS Overprint “The reason why the Japanese…”
Photocopy obtained at the National Archives
Chinese propaganda text across center of banknote
Before we leave this discussion of overprints on Chinese currency we should mention
that the American Office of Strategic Services printed a number of propaganda overprints
on the back of Japanese puppet-bank currency in China. For instance, the following seven
overprints are found on the back of the 1940 issue ten-Yuan Central Reserve Bank of China
notes (World Catalog of Paper Money J-12):
The value of reserve notes is guaranteed even after the Japanese
“locust” army has surrendered.
Those who really love their motherland will never let reserve notes circulate in
our market.
He, who expects poverty and bankruptcy, accepts puppet money.
If reserve notes are accepted as money, ghost money and toilet paper could also
be used as paper money.
The war has entered its last stage and it is already obvious which party is going
to win. Better get rid of reserve notes you have in your possession for good and materials
and ship them to safer FREE CHINA.
The reason why the Japanese issue these reserve notes is to steal our legal
tender and valuable goods.
With ten sheets of reserve notes as such can we purchase a piece of ghost money
or two sheets of toilet paper?
[Note: “Ghost money,” sometimes called “Joss Paper” or
“Hell notes” is money-like paper that is burned in Chinese deity or ancestor
worship ceremonies or traditional Chinese funerals. It has no value and is for the use of
spirits in the afterlife. The OSS is telling the Chinese that the Japanese puppet money is
as valueless as the paper they burn to appease the Gods and spirits.]
Reference text for propaganda statements on
the Japanese occupation currency
Before the OSS could print the propaganda statements on the Japanese occupation
currency a Chinese interpreter had to write it out. Here is the reference text for the
message:
He, who expects poverty and bankruptcy, accepts puppet money.
Partisan Propaganda Notes – France
Some propaganda banknotes were produced by wartime partisan movements. Many of these
notes were produced by the use of a pen, scissors, rubber stamp or small printing press
and thus could easily be reproduced today by an informed amateur. Due to the ease with
which these dubious items can be reproduced, I would advise readers to be careful when
purchasing any of this material. Treat all notes with suspicion unless they come from an
old collection or from a trusted dealer who will vouch for their pedigree.
Parody of French 20 franc note
The first banknote in this series is the Bank of France 20 francs note of 1942. In Coins
and Medals, December 1968, we find a photograph of the face and back of such a note
and the text:
Hitler and Petain mocked. D. C. Graddon has shown us this interesting French
banknote. Cutting up postage stamps and affixing parts of them to occupation banknotes was
one way in which the French showed their objections to the Germans during the Second World
War. Although it seems a childish action, anyone captured with such a note in his
possession faced the death penalty. The face depicts France strangling Hitler. The back
shows “Mother France” nursing her baby “Petain.”
The note was cleverly defaced by cutting the Hitler portrait from the German stamps of
1941-43 and either pasting or inserting Hitler's head above and below the rope being
pulled by the Breton fisherman. The appearance was symbolic of France strangling Germany.
On the back of this same 20 francs note there is a vignette of two French women in
traditional dress. One holds a smiling child. Patriots are known to have taken the head of
Marshall Petain from the French stamps of 1941-42 and placed it on the body of the infant.
It is unclear just how this was construed as an anti-Fascist symbol. However, the purpose
was certainly to send a warning message to the French leader and pro-Nazi collaborator,
Marshall Petain.
Karen Gray Ruelle mentions this parody in her 2020 book, Surprising Spies
– Unexpected heroes of WWII:
Peter Feigl was a Jewish refugee from Austria who was living in France
during WWII. He worked with the resistance when he was 14 years old, helping
to spy on German soldiers and translate documents. He also sabotaged Nazi
trucks by pouring sugar into the gas tanks and puncturing the tires, and he
went along on a mission to blow up a factory that had been commandeered to
manufacture equipment for the Nazis.
When he was 15, Peter and a small group of other Jewish refugees, disguised
as Boy Scouts, spent their winter break from school helping the Resistance.
One of their most subversive acts was to distribute anti-Hitler material.
They found discarded envelopes from mail sent from Germany and removed the
Hitler stamps. The cut Hitler’s face from the stamps and glued the faces
onto French 20-Franc notes. These notes had an image of a fisherman hauling
his net from the sea. Peter and
his friends attached the Hitler face just above the rope in the fisherman’s
hands, making it look like the fisherman was choking Hitler. These altered
banknotes carried their anti-Hitler message wherever they were spent.
In all, there are three known formats of the French propaganda banknote. They are found
with the Hitler stamp alone, the Petain stamp alone, or both stamps on one banknote.
Is there any proof that these notes were circulated in wartime France? In Time,
4 September 1944 there is a letter from Private First Class Leslie Lieber:
Take a good look at the enclosed French 20 franc note. It is one of the cleverest
methods of subtle non-collaboration I can imagine. The French people who gave it to me
said that millions of these were circulating around while the Germans were here ... The
effect is produced by inserting a German postage-stamp portrait of Hitler behind the
French fisherman's rope.
Years later, a second note was illustrated by Neil Shafer in an article entitled
“Bills by the Roll,” in The Whitman
Numismatic Journal, May 1968. Shafer told of purchasing a roll of 15 banknotes taped
together and used as a “short snorter” during WWII. This was an informal
membership card and souvenir that was carried to show where the owner had been and who he
had met. As the owner traveled to more countries and was assigned to different units, he
added more banknotes. His notes has dozens of signatures, one dated "January 28,
1945. Shafer states that when he inspected the roll at a later date he was amazed to find
the infamous head of Hitler skillfully attached to the lower left corner of a French
banknote:
The head is cut from a German postage stamp and at first glance it appears that
‘Der Fuehrer’ is being strangled by the fisherman's rope - exactly the desired
effect.
The Hitler-stamp variety is known in two formats. First of all, they have been seen
with the stamp cut into separate pieces and then pasted above and below the rope. A second
specimen in my collection has the stamp inserted in two slits in the banknote, exactly as
described by Lieber and Shafer. This note was purchased from a former British soldier who
wrote “It was given to me in Dieppe in 1944.” Apparently both methods were used,
depending on the creativity and artistic ability of the preparers. Anyone with a sharp
pair of scissors could produce such a note today. Beware!
Partisan Notes – Norway
A mysterious propaganda banknote is alleged to have been disseminated in occupied Norway.
During the last war, the British regularly dropped propaganda newspaper, magazines and
leaflets over occupied Europe. They printed a miniature magazine called De Wervelwind
(The Whirlwind) in the United Kingdom and disseminated it throughout Holland from May 29,
1942 until the end of the war. In issue No. 11, dropped from June 21 to July 13, 1943, a
Norwegian 1 Kron Norges Bank note of 1940 is depicted. The note shows a monogrammed
"H" and "7" topped by a crown, overprinted at the upper left and
right. These symbolize the rule of King Haakon 7th. At the bottom on the note we find the
words “Kongerike! Norge!” (Kingdom of Norway). There is a long article entitled
“Totale Mobilisatie in Noorwegen” (Total Mobilization In Norway). Some of the
text in regard to the pictured banknote states:
Norwegian patriots printed a crown with an “H” and a “7” on 1
Krone banknotes. These circulated notes become a proud message for all Norwegians that Norway
still belongs to the King and the people. H7: a challenge symbol used by the patriots
bearing witness of the loyalty to their King in exile. Kongeriket Norge: The Kingdom of Norway.
Not a German province easily exploited by the German.
Norwegian anti-Nazi "Live Haakon VII" Graffiti Placed on an
Oslo Wall
I wrote to numerous Norwegian numismatic specialists and ex-intelligence agents and
none have ever seen this note. I suspect that the entire story was made up by a British
propaganda agency. I believe that they first manufactured, then illustrated the mythical
anti-Nazi currency in an attempt to encourage the Dutch to keep faith and continue to defy
the Nazis, just as the Norwegians were doing. I doubt that the banknotes were ever
disseminated.
By coincidence, there were small banknotes used by Norwegian prisoners of war in the
POW camps. These notes did have the "H" & "7" symbol and crown
mentioned by the British, but there was no patriotic slogan. Did the British get the idea
for the propaganda story from seeing these notes?
The Back of the 1944 50 Kroner War Note
There were also banknotes issued by the Norwegian Government in exile in London, to
be used by allied forces during the liberation of Norway. Some notes were circulated in
1945, but most were never issued and destroyed. There were two issues, one dated 1942 and
the other dated 1944. In both cases the back of these notes depict the “H7” and
the crown.
There are other privately-made propaganda overprints known. For instance, an old
sales catalog from a Norwegian numismatic dealer depicts a 1940 10 kroner note with a
picture of Vidkun Quisling glued to the reverse and handwriting along the edge which reads
“Death to all quislings! Down with the traitor!”
Coins were also used as a silent form of resistance. The Norwegian specialist Anders
A. Kvernberg adds:
Shortly after the occupation, most Norwegian coins were shipped off to Germany to
be melted into army hardware. They depicted the royal monogram, “H7” for King
Haakon VII. Some patriots kept them and made small pin-backs which they secretly wore on
their clothing inside of the lapel.
Once the coins were gone, paper issues were made of the lower denominations, 1 and 2
kroner. The new 1 krone note was called a “quisling,” which incidentally rhymes
with the word “usling,” meaning a person of low standards. The 2 kroner note was
called an usling. The hidden message was that a quisling was worth half that of an usling.
Partisan Notes – Italy
Defaced Italian 5 lire Regno d’Italia note
There is one banknote believed to have been prepared by a partisan movement within Italy.
There is absolutely no documentation on this item and it could have been prepared by
anyone. It is a defacement of the Italian 5 lire Regno d’Italia note of 1940. The
front of the genuine currency shows a bust of King Victor Emanuel at the left. In the
propaganda parody, an unknown artist has drawn dark hair failing over the king’s
right eye. He has also inked in a brush mustache under the nose. The general effect is to
change the image to that of the Nazi leader, Adolf Hitler. In addition, the following
words have been written in ink at the right of the portrait: “Vinceremo!
Videcemo?!” The first word is Italian and means “We will win!” The second
word is Serbo-Croat and means “We shall see.”
The defacement is apparently the production of a Slav-speaking Italian from that area
around the pre-war Italo-Jugoslav border. The partisans (whoever they were) hoped to
attack the German leader and perhaps smear the Italian King as being just a shadow ruler
dominated by Hitler. The effect of the note is quite striking and the propaganda surely
struck home.
Partisan Notes – Poland
The Warsaw Uprising began on 1 August 1944 as a revolt by Polish partisans against
the occupying German forces. Russian troops were just a few miles away on the Vistula
River, and the Poles believed that their uprising would be aided by the fighting between
the Red army and the German forces. In reality, the Russians halted their attack and
waited as the Germans wiped out the Polish partisans. After 63 days of fighting, the
surviving Poles were forced to surrender. Once there was no longer an effective Polish
patriotic movement, the Russians moved in and filled the void with their own people.
Under the German occupation of Poland, the German-controlled Bank Emisyjny W Polsce
issued two series of banknotes. The first group appeared on 1 March 1940; the second group
on 1 August 1941. These notes remained valid well into 1944. During the Warsaw Uprising,
Polish partisans overprinted these notes with emblems and slogans. Whether the intention
was to create propaganda or to pay partisans fighting against the German occupying forces
is unclear, but some of the pieces served as quite effective propaganda. At least nine
different overprints were used during the Uprising.
Overprint Nazi swastika hanging from a gallows
One overprint depicts a Nazi swastika hanging from a gallows with the text
"Deutschland Liegt an Allen Fronten." This is a parody of "Deutschland
Siegt an Allen Fronten," a slogan used on German postal cancellations. The Nazis
bragged that "Germany wins on all fronts" and often accompanied this phrase with
a "V for victory" sign. The Polish parody can be translated as "Germany
lies (sleeps, breaks down) on all fronts." In Yiddish, the term translates to
"Germany lies (false statements) on all fronts." Either way, this was an
effective attack on Germany and the gallows a warning of retribution to come.
Polish Banknote - Braterstwo Broni Anglii Ameryki Polski Niech Zyje
A second patriotic overprint on a Polish banknote is, "Braterstwo Broni Anglii
Ameryki Polski Niech Zyje" ("Long live the Brotherhood in arms of England,
America, and Poland"). It is worth noting that the Poles left out the Soviet Union.
The overprint also bears a crowned Polish eagle atop a large "V" for
"victory" and the letters "P W" which represents "Polska
Walczy" ("Fighting Poland") or "Wojsko Polskie" ("Polish
Army"). This symbol was used by the Poles throughout the years of German occupation.
It reappeared again in the 1980s as a symbol of the Polish Solidarity movement.
Another overprint is:
10 Zloty overprinted note.
A third overprint depicts the Polish national eagle and the text, A. K.
"Regula" Pierwszy zold powstanczy Sierpien 1944 R (Home Army "Regula"
/ The first soldier’s pay / August 1944). The letters "A. K." represent
Armia Krajowa (Land Army). Regula [literally "rule"] was the name of a battalion
of the A.K.
100 Zloty overprinted note
A fourth overprint depicts the Polish national eagle and the text, Okreg Warszawski
Dowodstow Zgrup IV (Warsaw district group IV Headquarters).
British Forgery of a 1940 Polish 100 Zlotych Banknote
Bank Emisyjny w Polsce
We do not have an actual photograph of a forged Polish banknote for obvious reasons,
but formerly classified files from the British Public Records Office do mention the
operation to forge Polish currency.
There is a banknote in the top secret Grenville file (the British counterfeiting
and reproduction of banknotes operation) dated 16 February 1943, that states the Polish
notes are being printed by the British firm of Waterlow and Sons. The notes are
then being sent to a Station XV, where they are chemically aged to make them look
like they have been in circulation for a while. The actual banknote that was originally in
the file was removed for security purposes and a photograph has replaced it. The writer of
the note who is not named and uses a code says:
The notes are being printed on behalf of the Polish [Government-in-Exile]
Treasury.
Partisan Notes – Yugoslavia
Yugoslavian Partisan Notes
The Partisans in the mountains of Yugoslavia also produced banknotes with strong
anti-Fascist statements. Colin Narbeth mentioned these in an article entitled "More
Propaganda Banknotes" in Coins and Medals, August 1967:
More direct propaganda was used by the partisans in Slovenia. These hardy
individuals issued their own paper money under the title "Liberty Front of the
Slovenian People" with circular inscriptions which left the Nazis in no doubt as to
their sentiments: one says Svobodo Narodu ("Liberty to the people") and the
other Smrt Fasizmu ("Death to Fascism"). Some of these notes were lithographed
by secret presses in the woods.
This is a just a brief look at some of the Allied propaganda banknotes of WWII. I could
have added many more banknotes and leaflets but this is enough to give the reader an idea
of what was being done on the front lines and in the occupied territories. Readers who
care to comment or have additional information are encouraged to write the author at sgmbert@hotmail.com.
© End: 23 February 2004
