Imperial Japan Military Currency 1914 Occupation of Siberia M13-M18
20 SEN 1914 OCCUPATION OF SIBERIA ISSUE M14

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Note Details

Set Details
Note Description: Japan, Military Currency
20 Sen 1918
Grade: VF 35
Country: JAP
Note Number: JAPM14
Signatures/
Vignettes:		 Occupation of Siberia
Certification #: 6043435-092  
Owner: RedWolfWhiteEagle
Sets Competing: Imperial Japan Military Currency 1914 Occupation of Siberia M13-M18  Score: 527
Date Added: 3/2/2021
Research: See PMG's Census Report for this Note

Owner's Description

Obverse: Facing Onagadori cockerels at top and two facing dragons at bottom. Russian legends at left and right, stating: 20 sen Japanese Coin, Imperial Japanese Government.
Obverse Color: Black on Light Green underprint.
Reverse: Ornate guilloche rosette with kanji in center “This bill on arrival immediately replaces/exchanged for face value Japanese currency. If any counterfeiting/forgeries or informed of any person exercising in such acts all will bear heavy punishment. Not lending”
Reverse Color: Light Green
Signatures: Imperial Treasury red signature seal on reverse
Date of Issue: 1918 (Taisho year 7)
History: Referred to as Siberian Intervention War bonds, towards the end of WW1 Japan sent troops to support the allied intervention in Siberia against Soviet Russia and its allies during the Russian Civil War. Gold backed banknotes issued by the Russian government were widely accepted in Siberia and Manchuria before the start of World War I. When the October Revolution caused the Russian monetary system to become chaotic, the Japanese looked for ways to exploit the situation by releasing their own currency in the regions. The Japanese government decided in July 1918 that military payments should be made through the Bank of Chosen using banknotes or gold backed military notes. These notes were backed by 10,000 yen in gold coins as military funds given for the duration of the event. Siberian Intervention War bonds were issued in August 1918 when the event commenced in denominations of 10 sen, 20 sen, 50 sen, 1 yen, 5 yen, and 10 yen. Their size ranges from 109mm x 76mm for sen to 135 mm x 95 mm for yen with a design similar to Meiji Tsuho notes that were issued for civilians in Japan from 1872 to 1899. The face value of these notes is written twice in both Japanese and Russian on the obverse side to reflect issuance in the regions involved. These notes circulated for a long duration as the Imperial Japanese Army continued to occupy Siberia even after other Allied forces withdrew in 1920. Siberian Intervention Warbonds were actively collected by the Japanese government when soldiers returned from the intervention in October 1922. Those that weren't collected remained in circulation as convertible banknotes that could be exchanged for Bank of Japan notes of the same value. This period of exchange lasted until September 1945 when the Ministry of Finance declared the military bonds invalid.

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