To be sold from the German occupation of the Channel Islands.

Islanders hid British banknotes under the floorboards!

All British Banknotes were overprinted 'withdrawn from circulation' and were to be destroyed.

Few survived, the rarer with only 5 known examples and most with less than 400.

Known values range from £150 to £2000 each.

Nine examples are included in Auction on 3rd September to be held by James & Sons

Details Available

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Telephone: 01485 578117

Postal: Dewfresh House, Syderstone Business Park, Mill Lane, Syderstone, Kings Lynn, Norfolk, PE31 8RX

THE STATES OF GUERNSEY OVERPRINTS

When the Germans occupied the Channel Islands in the Second World War, German money was made legal tender. As a result almost all British and Channel Islands currency 'disappeared under the floorboards'. Because of the shortage of small change the Guernsey authorities obtained permission from the Germans in 1941 to issue small denominations of 6d., 1s., 1s.3d., 2s6d. And 5s. The Germans agreed subject to the withdrawal of £5000 worth of Guernsey £1 notes which was done by handing over soiled notes being held for destruction, but not before they had been overprinted front and back Withdrawn from circulation" with the date. When these emergency low denomination notes also began to run short, agreement was obtained for a further issue of £5000 except that this time the Germans demanded that £5000 of Bank of England £1 notes should be withdrawn. Again the notes were overprinted and after the liberation in 1945 £2000 worth were discovered in Jersey and returned to the Bank of England. The balance of £3000 came to light in the early 1980s and most of these were sold to collectors in the USA.