Banknote

Banknote

A banknote is a kind of negotiable instrument, a promissory note made by a bank payable to the bearer on demand, used as money, and in many jurisdictions is legal tender. In addition to coins, banknotes make up the cash or bearer forms of all modern fiat money...

s were issued in New Guinea

New Guinea

New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...

 in late 1914 after Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

n forces took over German New Guinea

German New Guinea

German New Guinea was the first part of the German colonial empire. It was a protectorate from 1884 until 1914 when it fell to Australia following the outbreak of the First World War. It consisted of the northeastern part of New Guinea and several nearby island groups...

.

These extremely rare notes are denominated in New Guinean mark

New Guinean mark

The Mark was the currency of the colony of German New Guinea between 1884 and 1915. It was equal to the German Mark, which was also legal tender in the colony....

s, as opposed to German New Guinean marks. The New Guinean mark was created as a way of driving the German New Guinean mark out of circulation, and to function as a temporary currency until the Australian pound

Australian pound

The pound was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 13 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. It was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence.- Earlier Australian currencies :...

 was introduced.

The notes are inscribed 'TREASURY NOTE', '(x) MARKS', 'Payable in coin at the Treasury, Rabaul

Rabaul

Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...

. Dated at Rabaul this ...day of...191...', 'For and on behalf of the Treasury'. The denomination is also expressed in figures in two boxes at the top of the notes.

The notes are extremely rare. They are listed in the Standard Catalog of World Paper Money

Standard Catalog of World Paper Money

The Standard Catalog of World Paper Money is a well-known catalogue of banknotes that is published by Krause Publications in three volumes. These catalogues are commonly known in the numismatic trade as the Pick catalogues, as the numbering system was originally compiled by Albert Pick...

 quite wrongly under 'German New Guinea'. Only 29 notes are known to have survived, although reprints of all have been made.
. The 100 mark note may be unique..

A primitive 20 Mark note printed with boot polish is also reputed to have existed which was used for paying the wages of the German Voluntary Brigade.

Catalogue

• P1a. 5 Marks. 14 October 1914.

• P1b. 5 Marks. 1 January 1915. Pen
  Pen
  A pen is a device used to apply ink to a surface, usually paper, for writing or drawing. Historically, reed pens, quill pens, and dip pens were used, with a nib of some sort to be dipped in the ink. Ruling pens allow precise adjustment of line width, and still find a few specialized uses, but...
  
  cancelled.

• P2a. 10 Marks. 14 October 1914.

• P2b. 10 Marks. 1 January 1915. Pen cancelled.

• P3a. 20 Marks. 1914.

• P3b. 20 Marks. 1 January 1915. Pen cancelled.

• P4a. 50 Marks. 16 October 1914.

• P4b. 50 Marks. 1 January 1915. Pen cancelled.

• P5. 100 Marks. 5 November 1914.